Batukeshwar Dutt
Context:
Batukeshwar Dutt was born on November 18, 1910. He is remembered as a dedicated revolutionary and a close comrade of Bhagat Singh
His life story is often viewed as one of courage, sacrifice and subsequent erasure from public memory.
Revolutionary Activities:
On April 8, 1929, Dutt and Bhagat Singh threw harmless bombs into the Central Assembly Hall to protest against repressive laws.
They scattered red pamphlets titled To Make the Deaf Hear and raised slogans of Inquilab Zindabad (Long Live the Revolution) and Samrajyavad ka Nash Ho(Down with Imperialism).
He was convicted in the Delhi Assembly Bomb Case on June 12, 1929
He spent nine years in various prisons (including the Andamans)
He participated in historic hunger strikes, fasting for over a month on two occasions to demand humane treatment for political prisoners
After his release in 1938, he participated in the Quit India movement (1942) and was imprisoned for another four years
Post-Independence and Legacy
Despite his contribution to the freedom struggle, he faced financial hardships and obscurity in independent India
He passed away on July 20, 1965 (after battling bone cancer)
Fulfilling his last wish, he was cremated at Hussainiwala in Punjab, alongside his comrades Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev.