Monday 13 September 2021

Homage to Martyr Jatin Das on Martyrdom Day 13th September

    Premdatta Verma was the youngest member convicted to five years imprisonment in Lahore conspiracy case. In court proceedings when approver turned Jai Gopal teased the revolutionaries, Premdatta could not control himself and threw a chappal on Jai Gopal. For his this act the revolutionaries faced much torture in jail and inside court room. Although a formal apology was rendered by revolutionaries, the tortures had no end. Like many other revolutionary comrades of Bhagat Singh, who survived, they mostly went into oblivion and away from public eye. Premdatta after independence had joined as lecturer in History department of Panjab University Chandigarh, but despite my best efforts, I have not able to get any details from the University, except that a tribute to his co-prisoner Jatindernath Das was found in a university bulletin in 19th September 1964 issue. As his son Pramod Datta contacted me, we could know that Premdatta verma was alive till 19th September 2011, completing 100 years of life. More about Premdatta Verma will be posted on 19th September, his tenth death anniversary, but on Jatin Das martyrdom anniversary on 13th September (1929), an eye witness account of his co-prisoner and revolutionary Premdatta Verma is posted today.

                         ( Chaman Lal, editor The Bhagat Singh Reader, and Honrary advisor Bhagat Singh Archives New Delhi)



18 revolutionary under-trials under the leadership of Jatindranath Das went on a prolonged hunger strike in protest against the horrible conditions in the British jails. They demanded that they be treated not as criminals but as political prisoners. The entire nation rallied behind the hunger strikers.

 

In the jail, the force-feeding gang came twice a day, armed with doctors, hefty jail warders, rubber tubes, funnels and jugs of milk. Seven persons held Jatin down, four for the two legs, one each for the arms, and one to hold the head in position. When Jatin was held flat on the bed, a tube was thrust through his nostrils down through the food pipe. Milk was poured through a funnel.

 

However, Jatin knew a trick whereby as soon as the tube through the nostrils reached the throat, a little coughing would divert it to the mouth. When the milk was poured, it came out through the open mouth. The doctor came next with 3 tubes - two for the nostrils and one for the mouth. The nostrils were blocked, the mouth was blocked and the milk was poured.

 

The doctor had forgotten one thing. How would Jatin breathe. There was a slight coughing, the wind pipe was blocked and lungs went up in revolt. Jatin's face turned red and he had violent convulsions. The tubes were hurriedly withdrawn. But it was too late. Jatin Das was on the way to his death. Jatin's blood showed symptoms of poisoning. The burnt body fats were inviting death. The end came on 13th September, 1929 at around 4 pm. He had been without a drop of nutrition for 40 days, and on hunger strike for 51 days.

 

The news of his death spread like wild-fire in the city. The jail officers carried the bier to the outer gate and handed it over to the assembled masses to whom Jatin belonged. A train carried his body on a 1600 mile journey from Lahore to Calcutta. Thousands came to pay him homage at every station passed by the train. The compartment was strewn with flowers and fruits. At Calcutta, a two-mile-long procession of more than 600,000 people accompanied the valiant son of Bengal to the cremation ground. The nation's soul will never let such martyrs die.

 

- Dr. Premdatta Verma, Punjab University Weekly Bulletin, Sep 19, 1964






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