The Narendra Modi government at the Centre is trying to ignore the contributions of Bengalis to the freedom movement. Bengal’s glorious history is not taught in NCERT textbooks. Alleging this, Trinamool Congress MP Ritabrata Banerjee raised this issue in Parliament. His question is, why are the stories of martyrs like Binoy, Badal, and Dinesh not taught in history textbooks?
In fact, the stories of Bengali revolutionaries of the British India era are only partially described in NCERT textbooks. While some revolutionary groups like Jugantar and Anushilan Samiti are mentioned, there is no mention of important historical organisations like the Bengal Volunteers. This organisation, founded by legendary figures like Netaji and Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, has been neglected in history. As a result, revolutionaries like Binoy, Badal, and Dinesh, who were members of this organisation, have not found a place in NCERT textbooks.
Ritabrata asked why will the stories of revolutionaries like Binoy, Badal, and Dinesh not be taught in history books? Why is the history of the Bengal Volunteers ignored? The Trinamool MP demands, why should the history of Pradyot Bhattacharya, Prabhangshu Shekhar Pal, Santosh Kumar Mitra, Tarkeshwar Sen, Brajakishore Chakraborty, Ramakrishna Roy, and Mrigendra Nath Dutta be omitted from textbooks? Everyone’s history must be taught.
In a written statement to the Centre in Parliament, the Trinamool MP said, “At least 70 percent of the prisoners in the Cellular Jail in Andaman were Bengalis. They did not expect immortality. Their goal was not to have their names written in the pages of history. They are the assets of our country, brave Bengalis. They deserve respect. It is unfortunate that they do not have a place in history.”
In this context, the Trinamool MP, taking a dig at Savarkar, said, “Those who apologised to the British have their names in history. But the Bengalis do not.” Ritabrata clearly stated that the names of these Bengali revolutionaries should be included in textbooks.
Who were Binoy, Badal and Dinesh?
Binoy, Badal, and Dinesh were three young Indian revolutionaries from Bengal—Binoy Krishna Basu, Badal Gupta, and Dinesh Chandra Gupta—who, on December 8, 1930, attacked the Writers’ Building in Kolkata, killing the oppressive Inspector General of Prisons, N.S. Simpson, as part of India’s freedom struggle, and are remembered as martyrs for their patriotism and sacrifice, with a major Kolkata square named after them.
Disguised as Europeans, they stormed the Writers’ Building, a hub of British colonial administration, to assassinate Simpson. After the shooting, they were surrounded by police but refused to surrender. Badal took poison, Binoy shot himself, and Dinesh survived a self-inflicted wound, only to be later hanged by the British.
They are celebrated as Bengali heroes who gave their lives for India’s independence. The area around the Writers’ Building in Kolkata is now known as Binoy-Badal-Dinesh Bagh (B.B.D. Bagh). Their bravery inspired further anti-colonial movements in India.