Have you heard of Manik Lal Sen or Manindranath Banerjee as freedom fighters ? Perhaps Not…
There was an oft repeated complaint that the Indians were fed with selective histories of India, especially the freedom struggle that only suited the power that be. And that there was a design behind such selective inclusions of selective heroes in our text books was always in the public domain discussions and debates too.
Perhaps, the allegations were not wholly unfounded.
Let’s ask a question, like that of quiz competitions. How many, and also who were the freedom fighters who died in jail due to ‘fast unto death’ agitation? The immediate answer would be Jatindra Nath Das alias Jatin Das who died due to hunger strike in Lahore Jail after 63 days ( Born 27 October 1904 – 13 September 1929).
Everyone knows about him. Also everyone knows Mahatma Gandhi resorted to hunger strikes as many as 18 times-the longest being 21 days. Many are also well aware of the hunger strikes that the other revolutionaries of the freedom struggle undertook in jails –including Cellular jail of the Andaman.
Unfortunately, which may even sound intriguing too, that not many Indians really do know that there were ‘at least’ two more freedom fighters who died while protesting the British raj in the form of ‘fast unto death’.
If you go for Google, you will also not find their names. It is not there in the Wikipedia or other search engines. The names or references of these freedom fighters, who made supreme sacrifice like that of Jatin Das, were kept completely out of public reach and knowledge.
In fact, the names Manik Lal Sen and Manindranath Bannerjee were not even heard in any official or otherwise available history of the freedom fighters except one — Dictionary of Martyrs: India’s Freedom Struggle (1857-1947. Even in this concise history details of their life and struggle were not available.
Both Sen and Banerjee were in true sense forgotten heroes. They died unsung and went into oblivion.
Manik Lal Sen was born in Beharampur ( Baharampur) , West Bengal. The Dictionary of Martyrs: India’s Freedom Struggle (1857-1947) Vol. 4 says Sen was political activist and he died in Benares Jail in 1930 while on a hunger strike over ill-treatment for two months. (page 248). The History compilations were based on the IB, CID, Confidential, Political and Labour Unrest reports week ending 14 November 5 December 1931 & RNPP in Bengal, 1930, WBSAK; Charitabhidhan, 1, p. 415].
Similar was the case of Manindranath Banerjee, but there were a bit more information available.
Banerjee was born in 1911 and his father name of was Dr. Taracharan Banerjee. He was resident of Benares , Uttar Pradesh. Banerjee was arrested for shooting a poluice superintendent Jiten Banerjee, who was in charge of the investigation of Kakori Conspiracy Case ( in which Rajen Lahiri was accused and later executed). Incidentally police super Jiten Banerjee was Manindranath’s maternal uncle. Manindranath Banerjee was sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and sent to Fatehgarh jail. But Banerjee in protest against the brutal treatment of political prisoners inside prisons, resorted to hunger strike and after 66 days of fast he succumbed in the Fatehgarh Jail on June 20 1934 (Page 266) with reference to IG Prison Records, MOMCIF 1883-1943; WWIM, I, p. 25; Charitabhidhan).
Well, they might have not been the only ‘two others’ , there could be many others who died in similar fashion for the freedom of India –but well forgotten forever due to absence of any reference to them being made anywhere—by design or otherwise. As death due to hunger strike as a means of protest, the reference of Sen and Banerjee may be an eye opener and raise many an eye brow too with a serious question as to how and why the Indians were kept in darkness by our historians about many such sacrifices? Question is asked and the answers may be known to all, regardless.
(Ref : Dictionary of Martyrs: India’s Freedom Struggle (1857-1947.Vol https://www.indiaculture.nic.in/…/Martyrs_Vol_4_06_03…
(This article has been published in the Tripura Times on June 29,2021.
