Comrade Jatin Das dies on 63rd day of hunger strike

In mid-1929, following the arrests of key members of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), undertrials in Lahore Central Jail were subjected to harsh prison conditions. Political detainees were categorized alongside common criminals, provided sub-standard food, denied clean clothing, hygiene products, and access to books or writing materials. In response, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt initiated an indefinite hunger strike, demanding that political prisoners be recognized as a distinct category entitled to humane treatment and basic civil rights.

Jatindra Nath Das, a twenty-four-year-old revolutionary from Calcutta known for his technical skill in bomb manufacture, was arrested in July 1929 and transferred to Lahore Central Jail. Recognizing the profound political significance of the strike, Das joined the hunger strike on July 13, 1929. Recognizing that a prolonged fast posed a grave political threat, prison authorities attempted forced feeding. During a brutal attempt by guards to feed Das forcibly, a feeding tube accidentally penetrated his respiratory tract instead of his esophagus, severely injuring his lungs and triggering a deadly infection.

Despite unbearable physical suffering, lung paralysis, and a rapidly worsening fever, Jatindra Nath Das steadfastly refused all medical intervention, forced feeding attempts, or offers of conditional bail. His unwavering resolve drew national and international attention to the plight of political prisoners in British India. After an agonizing 63 days of continuous fasting without consuming food or taking medical aid, Das succumbed to his injuries and organ failure on September 13, 1929.

News of his martyrdom sent a shockwave of grief and anger across the Indian subcontinent. His casket was transported by train from Lahore to Calcutta, drawing vast, emotional crowds at every station along the route, including Amritsar, Delhi, Kanpur, Allahabad, and Patna. In Calcutta, leading nationalist figures including Subhas Chandra Bose received his body, leading a grand funeral procession estimated at over 600,000 people to the Keoratola burning ghat. Das's supreme sacrifice forced the British government to appoint the Punjab Jail Enquiry Committee and dramatically unified public sentiment across factional lines in support of the revolutionary struggle.