Kalyani Bhattacharjee with her husband and father (Beni Madhab Das, an erudite scholar and headmaster of Ravenshaw Collegiate School, of whom Subhas wrote, "for me, to see Beni Madhav Das was to adore him...I secretly said to myself that if I wanted an ideal for my life, it should be to emulate him").Beni Madhab Das (Bengali: বেণী মাধব দাস) (1866 – 1952) was an erudite Bengali scholar, a renowned teacher and a great patriot in British India. Subhas Chandra Bose was his student at Ravenshaw Collegiate School and he left an inedible mark in the mind of his young student, as acknowledged in his book Bharat Pathik.[1] When Bose was under internment and had decided to leave India, he wanted the blessings of his teacher, and so a clandestine meeting was organized for the purpose.[2] A number of his other students occupied important positions in life. His personal life of dedication and devotion inspired all his students on to an eventful life. He was what was referred to as an exemplary teacher.Son of Krishna Chandra Das of Sarowatoli, Chittagong (now in Bangladesh), he was born on November 22, 1866. After successfully completing his post graduation in philosophy, he joined Chittagong College. He converted it into a model institution. He was posted in Chittagong, Dhaka, Cuttack, Krishnanagar and Kolkata, initially as a teacher in government colleges and later as headmaster of government schools.
Influenced by Keshub Chunder Sen, he joined the Brahmo Samaj early in life. He was associated with the publications of the Brahmo Samaj, Indian Messenger and Navavidhan.
Ideal teacher
With his dedication and patriotism, he was considered an ideal teacher. Apart from philosophy, he had vast knowledge of economics and history, and used to teach these subjects as well. He presided over the All-India Theistic Conference at Kakinada, now in Andhra Pradesh, in 1923. His presidential speech was later published in a booklet entitled Modern Theistic Movement in India. His collection of essays, Pilgrimage Through Prayers, was a critically acclaimed publication.
Another great Brahmo teacher, Niranjan Niyogi, who had occasion to come close to him at both Cuttack and Krishnanagar writes about him, “There was no harshness in his administration, no pompous display surrounding it – his cool and charming behaviour used to have a remarkable impact on his students. Even those who were turbulent calmed down, became respectful towards him and were endeared to his affections.”
Family involvement
His wife, Sarala Devi was daughter of Madhusudan Sen, who after serving as secretary of Sadharan Brahmo Samaj at Kolkata shifted his base to Dhaka on retirement. She was actively involved in social welfare activities. He used to assist in the functioning of Sarala Punyashram an organisation she had set up for the assistance of destitute and helpless women.
Kalyani Das (Bhattacharya) and Bina Das (Bhaumik) were their daughters. Kalyani Das (1907-1983) was a leading social activist and revolutionary worker. She was one of the organisers of Chhatri Sangha and was secretary of Students’ Association. Apart from her political activities for which she went to jail, she was associated with Sarala Punyashram all her life. Bina Das (1911-1986) shot into prominence when she fired her pistol at the governor of Bengal, Stanley Jackson, in 1932, at the annual convocation meeting of Calcutta University. The attempt failed but she was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment.
He devoted the later part of his life entirely to the cause of the Brahmo Samaj and died on 2 September 1952.
She was the daughter of a well-known Brahmo teacher, Beni Madhab Das and a social worker, Sarala Devi. She was a student of St. John's Diocesan Girls' Higher Secondary School
The young and courageous girl was arrested on attempt of assassinating Stanley Jackson, the British governor of Bengal. This girl was none other than Bina Das, the courageous student who dared to shake the British Empire with her revolutionary action. She was imprisoned for 9 years. but was released in 1939 due to Gandhiji's movement of release of detainees. Her undaunted action aroused the youth's mind.
Bina Das was a member of Chhatri Sangha, a semi-revolutionary organisation for women in Kolkata. On 6 February 1932, she attempted to assassinate the Bengal Governor Stanley Jackson, a former England cricket captain, in the Convocation Hall of the University of Calcutta. She fired five shots but failed and was sentenced to nine years of rigorous imprisonment. She had contact with Subhas Chandra Bose. She showed her efficiency by joining in the volunteer force during calcutta Session of the Congress.
After her early release in 1939, Das joined the Congress party. In 1942, she participated in the Quit India movement and was imprisoned again from 1942-45. From 1946-47, she was a member of the Bengal Provincial Legislative Assembly and, from 1947–51, of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. In 1947, she married Jatish Chandra Bhaumik, an Indian independence movement activist of the Jugantargroup. After the death of her husband, she led a lonely life in Rishikesh and died in anonymity.
She joined in the Boycott movement of Simon Commission in 1928 and took it to a height .She remained in prison from 1942-46 during which she was the secretary of Pradesh Congress Committee. At the time of riot in Noakhali she under the leadership of Sucheta kripalani organised a school and conducted it.She was a member of Bidhan Sabha from 1946 to 51. She was married to Jatish Bhaumik, a freedom fighter and member of Jugantar. During Mukti Yuddha of Bangaladesh she helped Mujibar with her associates. She opposed the proclmation of Emergency in 1975.She died after the death of her husband in a solitary place of Hrishikesh.
Work
Bina Das wrote two autobiographical works in Bengali: Shrinkhaljhankar and Pitridha
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