Remembering B K Dutt on Birth Anniversary

Remembering Batukeshwar Dutt, the forgotten comrade of Bhagat Singh - The Hindu

 Azad, Chaman Lal, Bhagat Singh aur Dutt ki Amar Kahani (Urdu), Hindi unpublished Translation by Naresh Nadeem, !965, Delhi pages 278

                 On 8th April 1929, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, brought out a special evening edition, and Statesman Calcutta filed a story to its London correspondent to ensure that it is not censored or stopped by the British colonial regime! The Central Assembly Hall, now called Parliament of India, whose building had come up in 1927(now reshaped into Central Vista, ignoring its historicity)); before it, it functioned from what is now Delhi Vidhan Sabha, and was bombed around 12 0 o'clock by two young men. The hall was resonating with slogans of Inqilab Zindabad (Long live Revolution) and Samrajyavad ka Nash ho(Down with Imperialism), both international slogans but popularised by these two young men in the whole of South Asia. Red posters-“To Make the Deaf Hear’,  were thrown inside the hall, one picked up by an HT reporter, which got publicised by its special evening edition!

 

   These two names Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwdr(BK) Dutt instantly became renowned in whole of the whole world as at least ten newspapers from England, Canada, Australia and the USA, apart from innumerable Indian languages newspapers throughout India, carried the news, one Indian and another international paper headlining it as “Reds Storm the Assembly!

 

     While Bhagat Singh in times to come became an iconic hero of the revolutionary movement, his comrade and close friend BK Dutt remained in the news but not to the extent that he deserved. After release from British jail, the post-independence Bihar Government allotted him a coal depot, in which Dutt lost more money than he earned. President Rajender Prasad had to draw the attention of Bihar Government to give respect to the revolutionary, so he was nominated as a member of Bihar Legislative Council, but for the residue six-month term of a member!

 

    Ignored by Bureaucracy moulded in British colonial mode, but respected by political leaders of his contemporary times, BK Dutt, when fell seriously ill in 1964-65, he had to be rescued to Delhi to be admitted in AIIMS by political leadership and for a short while, at least during his last days and sometime after his death, he got the respect of the nation as he deserved. This story of revolutionary/ies neglect was penned down by another revolutionary comrade of Bhagat Singh and Dutt in Urdu by Chaman Lal Azad, who had become a journalist in post-revolutionary free India and served as news editor of Daily Urdu Pratap founded in Lahore earlier, whose one editor Virender was part of the revolutionary movement and had noted down exact time of Bhagat Singh and Rajguru execution in Lahore jail as 7.33 pm. Virender’s son and granddaughter, Chander Mohan and Jyotsna Mohan, have recently come out with Pratap's story as Pratap: A Defiant Newspaper, though they have missed this part of story. Chaman Lal Azad, while taking care of Dutt in AIIMS, started writing simultaneously series of stories in Pratap, while sitting with Dutt for hours. Those serialised stories took the shape of 358 pages, book-‘Bhagat Singh aur Dutt ki Amar Kahani’! Published in 1966, after few months of Dutt’s death on 20th July 1965, the book carried on the first page the note that this book’s Hindi and English translations are being published shortly! Though this is one of most authentic accounts of the revolutionary movement and its political organisation-HSRA and mass organisation- Naujwan Bharat Sabha , both of which Azad himself was part. The original Urdu book, which had the Punjab Govt. support of dept of Historic Documents at that time, it is almost impossible to find its copy! Its copies in libraries are not found, leaving aside a few individuals, who might have its copy! Even Dutt family does not have its copy, which was checked by this author with Dutt daughter Bharti Bagchi, who retired from Patna college as Professor of Economics! She said that they had its copy which because she could not read, so she gifted to Khuda Baksh Library Patna, this library itself is an iconic library. She also told that she has its Hindi translation copy, done by the author himself, but she has misplaced in her papers. The author himself has mentioned that book is a collection of his serialised 29 articles in Pratap and Veer Arjun. The book is not written in academic manner and it is not chronicled account of events, but though written in scattered manner and few chapters include author dated diaries from 1st January 1965 to 20th July 1965, in its contents, it is mine of authentic information, from which many books can be further written.

 

  BK Dutt was born on 18th November 1910 in Burdwan district lies close to Bhagat Singh in eternity cremated at Hussaini Wala in Ferozepur district of Punjab on 21st July 1965. The place which was part of Pakistan till 1965 and was acquired and memorial to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev was being built, when Batukeshwar Dutt passed away and as per his desire, he was cremated at the same place, where Bhagat Singh was cremated on 24th March 1931 after the trio were hanged secretively in Lahore jail on 23rd March evening!

 

      The contents of Chaman Lal Azad book are as follows briefly-

 

1.Major writings of Bhagat Singh, including 1.2nd February 1931-Letter to young Political Workers, 2. 6th June 1929 Session court statement of Bhagat Singh and BK Dutt3. Post cards of Bhagat Singh to father, brothers and BK Dutt sister Pramila, who died prior to Dutt and from her papers, he found the letter. Perhaps these were first publication of Bhagat Singh writings in a book, and the process of collecting his writings got pace after the publication of this book.

 

Mahatma Gandhi's letter to BK Dutt

 

2. Photographs of BK Dutt with Prime Minister Nehru in 1963 meeting. In one picture Indira Gandhi is with Nehru, and in another Congress leader and old revolutionary S M Ghosh is standing. S M Ghosh rendered maximum help during Dutt's illness and treatment in AIIMS Delhi.

 

3. The book contains a scattered history of the freedom struggle, especially of revolutionaries’ role at different times in the movement has been jotted down, like that of Beena Das, who had shot a British official in Bengal. Harikishan, who of Galladher near Mardan in NWFP at that time, now called Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Interesting information, seen first time, that Harikishan's whole family suffered a lot. Harikishan was hanged for shooting Punjab Lieutenant Governor on 23rd December 1930 during Panjab University Lahore convocation. His father Rai Bahadur  Lala Gurdas Ram Talwar died of heart attack, when police were harassing him for signing security terms from him, who refused to comply. Harikishan other brother Bhagat Ram Talwar, helped Subhash Bose escape to Kabul. Yet another brother Jamuna Das suffered 11 years jail, which was condemned by Nehru in his autobiography. I saw the first mention of Talwar family ancestors from Patiala district in Punjab and migrated to Mardan few generations before to Mardan. This is also narrated in the book that Harikishan went on nine days hunger strike in Lahore jail to meet Bhagat Singh, which was not being allowed by jail officials, they finally met. Harikishan was hanged on 9th June 1931, two and a half months after Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were hanged. Punjab legislative council President Durga Das Khanna, Milap editor Ranbir and Chaman Lal of Mardan were also sentenced to death in this case, but were acquitted later after Harikishan was hanged.

 

   Bhagat Singh wrote two letters from jail to Harikishan lawyer Asaf Ali, who was also BK Dutt lawyer. Bhagat Singh had questioned Asaf Ali's approach of denying the act of bravery. One of these letters was lost and was found by this author 75 years later and was retranslated in English, which was published in The Hindu in 2014.. Chaman Lal Azad has mentioned that BK Dutt told him Asaf Ali has changed the term-‘Dictatorship of the Proletariat’ in joint session court statement of Bhagat Singh and BK Dutt in Delhi Assembly bomb case, to ‘Sovereignty the People’! V N Datta in his book-Gandhi and Bhagat Singh had imagined that the joint statement for the court was drafted by Pt. Nehru.

 

    The large part of this long book is devoted to the physical suffering of BK Dutt during his eight-month hospitalisation in Delhi due to bone cancer as per orthopaedic expert doctors. One of the top-level Doctors, Doctor Vig had clarified to Dutt comrades and political leaders that they are just trying for ‘painless death’ of Dutt, as his cancer was beyond recovery. Govt of India had tried to send Dutt abroad too, but High Commissioner in London had sent a report to the effect that the Delhi treatment was on the correct lines and Europe had no better treatment facilities than Delhi.

 

       BK Dutt spent nine years in different prisons after being convicted on 12th June 1929 in Delhi Assembly bomb case and was not released in 1937 when many revolutionaries were released, after 1937 elections and Congress governments coming to power in seven out of eleven provinces. Dutt spent years in Multan, Jhelum, Trichinopoly, Salem in Madras and Andaman jails and at in every jail, he had to resort to hunger strike for better treatment, twice he went through one and half months’ hunger strike. At the time of Bhagat Singh execution on 23rd March 1931, Dutt was in Salem jail in Madras, and he had a nightmare seeing Bhagat Singh in chains! After release in 1938, he was again imprisoned during 1942 Quit India movement for four years. After first release Dutt married Anjali, a school teacher and had a daughter Bharti, both mother and daughter were with him in last months of his illness. Bharti Bagchi retired as Professor of Economics from Patna college, where Dutt family settled after his entry to Punjab and Delhi was banned. Dutt has passed away on early hours of 20th July 1965 and his body was taken to Hussaini Wala in Punjab in a funeral prodession, where earlier his soulmate Bhagat Singh and his comrades were cremated on 24th March morning. After his death, Dutt was given such honour by Central Govt. In Delhi and Punjab Govt, that today’s power holding all powerful leaders will envy. Apart from People in lakhs, President, Prime Minister, the Central ministers, the Speaker of Lok Sabha and the Punjab Chief Minister paid him so emotional tributes, and his funeral procession was so huge, yet no one now even remembers that the last journey of the great hero, pictures included in the book speak of those days! Ironically Bhagat Singh or Dutt never found their portrait put up in Central Assembly (Parliament) gallery hall of portraits, whereas Savarkar’s portrait, who was an accused but acquitted in the Mahatma Gandhi assassination case, was put up just opposite the Mahatma Gandhi portrait in that Gallery. Despite Dr. Dharamver Gandhi MP and some other leftist MPs, including late Sita Ram Yechuri, protesting for it in 2014, the BS portrait was never put up, whereas a number of lesser-known persons' portraits are put up in that gallery!

 

    Author Azad had met Dutt for the first time in 1941, when Dutt had come to Delhi for treatment in Joshi hospital and remained in touch with him afterwards. Azad has also mentioned that Ehsan Ilahi ( like Mubark Sagar and few more), their Naujwan Bharat Sabha activist comrade had migrated to Pakistan after partition and with reference of Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Azad has mentioned, Elahi became a well-known musician of Lahore, but then he got paralyzed with no one to help. Azad collected 1300/ rupees fund and requested Pakistan High commission in Delhi to forward the money to Ehsan, which took four months to reach, by the time Ehsan Elahi has passed away!

 

    Another interesting observation is made by Dutt in conversation about films made on Bhagat Singh in fifties about which only Sree Rajyam Sinha wife of  revolutionary Bejoy Kumar Sinha has mentioned later in her 1993 book on her husband Bejoy Kumar Sinha that how Bhagat Singh family and revolutionaries including Dutt had protested and demanded a ban on those earlier films. Only Manoj Kumar made Shaheed was approved by the family and Manoj Kumar has mentioned that he had met BK Dutt also.

 

   The relationship between Bhagat Singh and BK Dutt families is described in great detail, especially Mata Vidyawati's attachment of Dutt, who stayed with Dutt much time during his last days. Interestingly Dutt did not know about BS Family whereabouts till very late and when he came to know, he went to Khatkar Kalan  in 1963 and spent many days there, that was the time, when he had met Pt Nehru also, who was surprised to see Dutt and he also did not know about Vidyawati. After meeting Dutt, probably Pt. Nehru also met Mata Vidyawati at some occasion. During Dutt illness, most members of Bhagat Singh family kept on visiting or staying. Vidyawati was accompanied many times by youngest son Rajinder Singh or 2nd youngest Ranbir Singh, both lived in Bazpur, terai area of UP. Ranbir Singh wife Leela Rani accompanied Vidyawati many times to Ujjain, where poet and freedom fighter Sri Krishan Saral honoured her and he gifted his Hindi epic on Bhagat Singh to her. Vidyawati sold that epic to collect fund for BK treatment and got more than 3400/ rupees, 1100/ rupees more were gifted to her, which she gave to BK Dutt for medical expenses. With Leela Rani, Mata Vidyawati visited Mirzapur Shaheed Park also, where she unveiled young revolutionary Khudi Ram Bose statue, the park with a number of revolutionaries statues was built by Batuknath Aggarwal and is one of the best parks in the country in memory of young revolutionary martyrs!

 

  Those central leaders who took interest and visited BK Dutt in the hospital included Home Minister  Gulzari Lan Nanda, Défense minister Y B Chavan, Health minister Dr. Sushila Nayyar, ministers Jagjivan Ram, Swarn Singh, D Sanjivya and many more. Almost all living revolutionaries at that time Shiv Verma <Kundan Lal Gupt, des Raj Bharti, Jatin Das brother Kiran Das, Vaishampayan, Sadashiv Malkapurkar, Bhagwan Das Mahaur remained in or visited Delhi during Dutt hospitalisation. Interestingly, Shiv Verma was incarcerated due to the CPI-CPM split, and he, being part of CPM, was jailed; he came on  8-hour parole to meet his old comrade. But Shiv Verma was not allowed parole to attend BK Dutt cremation at Hussaini Wala in Punjab. Delhi Congress President Mir Mushtaq Ahmad made arrangements at Delhi Corporation office for the body to be kept for people to pay tributes. Speaker Hukam Singh paid tributes on behalf of Parliament. Punjab Chief minister Comrade Ramkishan, who himself remained with Naujwan Bharat Sabha, once remained concerned throughout and visited many times. One cannot find among today’s leaders such respect for revolutionary freedom fighters.

 

  There are some errors in the dates of historic events. Azad wrote that Gandhi-Irwin talks started on 17th February and ten days later, Chander Shekhar Azad was killed on 27th February in Allahabad. Gandhi Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed on 14th March, and Bhagat Singh and comrades were hanged nine days later! Gandhi Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed on 5th March. Mention is made of Chander Singh Garhwali also, whose refusal to fire at freedom fighters  in Peshawar was criticised by Mahatma Gandhi and was offered a pension of 14/rupees by Congress Government at that time, which Garhwali rejected with contempt it deserved!

 

     One chapter author Azad has devoted to ‘The Significance of Bhagat Singh’ where he has rightly underlined that Bhagat Singh’s significance lied in making a revolutionary movement to rise up over religion and with his intellectual mind made it yearn for building socialism. Dutt also mentioned in conversation that Bhagat Singh was a much farsighted person; he always had a book with him and started reading anywhere he went.

 

    The book is so huge with so many more details of revolutionaries, that it is not possible to summarise in a short article, for which readers need to go through the book. It was translated at that time in Savera of Marathi and one Malayalam paper from Kerala, and in Hindi.

 

 Two more notable books-Justice Anil Verma’s Bhagat Singh ke Sahyogi : Batukeshwar Dutt and Bharab Lal Das’s Viplvi Batukeshwar Dutt in Hindi were p published after 2007, but Azad book is from the core of the heart of a living revolutionary and ironically its new Hindi translation, which this author has impressed Publication Division, Govt of India to get done, is lying without publication, as the descendants of Azad are not traceable for purpose of copyrights permission! The Hindi translator of the book has already been paid more than one lakh rupees for translation! Probably Azad has no child and I last heard from old UNI press agency sources was that Azad’s wife lived in Gulmohar Park New Delhi residence, which he might have got allotted from journalists’ quota, as many other old journalists like Dewan Birendra Nath(Zafar Pyami) family once lived there. Present Urdu Pratap management and editor in Delhi, has no clue either of their retired news editor!

 

       It is a bit reflection on History writing as well. Urdu, Persian or Arabic are used for medieval history writing by eminent historians of Mediaeval India, but for modern History writing, even the authentic books/memoirs etc are not taken into account. Students of Medieval Indian History perhaps learn Urdu/Persian for consulting source material, but for modern Indian history, mostly English language sources are depended upon, to some extent in different linguistic states, the region’s languages-Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Punjabi etc may be taken into account, but rarely Urdu books are treated as source material for modern Indian history, whereas till at least two decades after independence many of freedom fighters like Z A Ahmed etc penned down their memoirs in Urdu language. But to think of using the Urdu language as source material for the history writing of modern India might be like ‘red rag to the bull’ under the present political dispensation!