| Datta, Kalpana (1913-1995) a revolutionary,
was born at Sripur of Chittagong district on 27 July 1913 in a middle-class
family. Having matriculated in 1929 from Chittagong, Kalpana Datta went
to Calcutta and joined the bethune
college. Greatly influenced by the examples set by the revolutionaries
kshudiram
basu and Kanailal Datta, she soon joined the Chhatri Sanggha.
purnendu
dastidar drew her into the revolutionary circle of Mastarda
surya sen.
The Chittagong Armoury
Raid took place on 18 April 1930 and Kalpana hurried back to Chittagong
and came in contact with Surya Sen in May 1931. In the meantime,
many of the leaders of the Raid like Ananta Singh, Ganesh Ghosh
and Loknath Bal had been arrested and were awaiting trial.
Kalpana was entrusted with the safe carrying of
heavy explosive materials from Calcutta. She also secretly prepared
'gun-cotton' and planned to plant a dynamite fuse under the court
building and inside the jail to free the revolutionary leaders,
who were being tried in a special Tribunal. |
|
Kalpana Datta |
The plot was uncovered and certain restrictions were
imposed on Kalpana's movements. She, however, managed to visit regularly
the village of Surya Sen, sometimes even at dead of night. She also used
to have regular training in revolver shooting, along with her comrade
pritilata
waddedar.
In September 1931 Surya Sen decided to entrust Kalpana
and Pritilata with a plan to attack the European Club at Chittagong. A
week before the action Kalpana was arrested while moving out for a survey
work in a boy's attire. While in jail, she was told about the Pahartali
action and the heroic suicide of Pritilata. Being released on bail, she
went underground at the bidding of Surya Sen and in the early hours of
17 February 1933 the police encircled their hideout. Surya Sen was captured
while Kalpana, along with Manindra Datta, escaped.
On 19 May 1933 Kalpana, with some comrades, was arrested. In the second supplementary trial of Chittagong Armoury Raid case, Surya Sen and Tarakeswar Dastidar were sentenced to death, and Kalpana was sentenced to transportation for life. Being released in 1939 she graduated from the Calcutta University in 1940. Soon she joined the CPI and resumed her battle against the British rule. She turned Kalpana Joshi in 1943 when she married PC Joshi, the leader of the CPI. She went back to Chittagong and organised the Kisans' and women's fronts of the party. In 1946 she contested, though unsuccessfully, in the elections to the Bengal Legislative Assembly. After 1947 she migrated to India and resigned from active politics.
Kalpana Datta breathed her last at New Delhi on 8 February
1995.
[Sailesh Kumar Bandyopadhyay] |
