Abinash Bhattacharya

Abinash Chandra Bhattacharya (1882-1962) was born in Arbellia in the 24 Parganas District of Bengal. In 1901 he was admitted to the Metropolitan Institute, Calcutta. Towards the end of 1902 he met Sri Aurobindo's emissary to Bengal, Jatin Banerji, who inspired him with revolutionary ardour. A few weeks later he met Barin Ghose and became his first recruit. During the next few years Abinash was Barin's closest companion and assistant in revolutionary work. Together they recruited young men from the universities and youth clubs. In 1906, when Barin started Yugantar, Abinash served as manager of the news-paper.

Unlike most of the revolutionaries in Barin's group, Abinash had the privilege of close personal contact with Sri Aurobindo. Between 1906 and 1908 he lived with Sri Aurobindo in North Calcutta and looked after his house-hold. During this period Abinash published two books which captured the imagination of the youth of Bengal. The first, Mukti kon Pathe (Which Way to Liberation?), was a collection of inflammatory articles from Yugantar. The second, Bartaman Rananiti (Modern Science of War) was a small manual on military strategy and guerilla warfare. These books, and papers like Yugantar, expressed the bold new temper of the Bengali mind. Due to the influence of this revolutionary literature the Government was forced to suppress Nationalist newspapers and presses in Bengal and elsewhere.

Abinash was rounded up with other revolutionaries in May 1908 and tried for conspiracy. His sentence of transportation for life was later commuted to seven years. He was imprisoned in the Andamans until 1912 and served the remainder of his term in prisons on the mainland. He was released in May 1915. In 1920 Abinash joined the Swarajya Party of C. R. Das and edited the party's news-paper, Narayana. He also contributed articles to such papers as Bijoli, Atmashakti and Calcutta Municipal Gazette.

REMINISCENCES OF ABINASH BHATTACHARYA

I went to that house [in Calcutta] on the day specified. It was almost four o'clock. I did not find [Jatin Banerji] in and was wondering what to do when a thin young man called me inside and asked me to sit down. There was a new bedstead with a new mattress and new pillow; it seemed as if he had just moved in. We began chatting about all sorts of things. He smiled sweetly but his piercing eyes did not leave me for a moment. After talking with him for a short time, I felt great joy. Naturally it was about the country's subjection that we talked. Finally he said: "Brother, if what you desire is the country's liberation, then plunge into the work at once." After this I asked him his name and so forth, and he told me he was Sri Aurobindo Ghose's younger brother and he had just arrived the day before. The younger brother of Aurobindo Ghose! I felt very surprised. His name was Barindra-kumar. Aurobindo was his sejda; he had sent him to work along with Jatin-babu. Barin continued: "Brother, if India's bondage makes your heart ache, don't waste any more time, join us in this work today, this very moment." I had never imagined that I would have to take the plunge just then. But when I heard Barindra's call I clasped his hand and without the least thought about anything said: "Right, brother. From now on I'm with you." I waited for Jatin-babu until late that night but did not meet him. At night I took my leave from Barin and went away. The very next morning I joined him and Jatin-babu. From the end of 1902 Barin and I have passed through all kinds of trials and difficulties and we are still both here today.

*

In the early part of 1903, Aurobindo-babu wrote to Barin that he was coming to Calcutta. ... Aurobindo-babu came as planned. He put up at Jatin-babu's residence. Barin told me: 'Come, Abinash, I'll introduce you to Sejda." I went with him with great pleasure. When we arrived we saw Aurobindo-babu and Jatin-babu sitting on a mat spread on the floor, talking and laughing. I did pranam to him and hardly had sat down before him when Barin said: "Sejda, his name is Abinash Bhattacharya, Bengal's first volunteer." I said, "I'm not the first. Jatin-babu is, and you are second. I'm only the third." Barin countered: "No, Jatin-babu and I came here after being initiated in Baroda. You were the first person we found in Bengal, the first to give up everything and plunge into our work. So you are Bengal's first volunteer." With great concentration Aurobindo-babu looked into my eyes for a long time. I felt completely thrown off balance - it seemed as if he were wringing out my inmost being. I could neither shut my eyes nor avert them. My heart began to pound. Then Aurobindo-babu looked at my forehead, examined it by pressing; after this he looked at my eye-brows. He lifted my eyelids and looked. Suddenly he pushed my head down and began examining it by pressing. Finally he said: "Your first recruit is quite fine. He is a determined, faithful and silent worker." I felt as if an elixir had revived my dead self back to life. I was the first in Bengal! My heart was swollen with pride.

*

In the house on Scott's lane Aurobindo-babu stayed with his wife Mrinalini Devi, his sister Sarojini-didi and myself. After a while, I brought Sailen Bose too.

I observed Aurobindo-babu's day-to-day life very attentively. Many people came to meet him here. It was during this period that he gave up the principalship of the National College and started editing Bande Mataram. He was always in a meditative state. When somebody came he talked and chatted cheerfully, then he fell silent and became absorbed in meditation. If someone came to him for articles or about other Bande Mataram matters, he would ask him to wait and would begin writing. Sometimes looking at the paper, sometimes not glancing at it, he would write. The pen or pencil did not stop at all. After writing a few pages he would say: "Do you think that will do?" I would say yes, take the article and hand it over to the person who had come. It is easy to imagine how difficult it was for such a man to look after his domestic affairs. Food or clothing did not matter to him. He ate whatever was there. There were holes in his shoes but he did not notice. He did not concern himself with the household at all. I had to look after everything. He got 150 rupees a month from the National College, but it did not always come and finally it stopped altogether.... Those who came in touch with Aurobindo were captivated by his simple childlike laughter and behaviour. Whenever I gave him a fond scolding, he broke out in laughter...

*

One day about noon a dignified-looking Marwari arrived and asked to speak to Aurobindo. I requested him politely to come back in an hour. He was stubborn. "Well, let me sit here in the drawing-room and chat with you. An hour will pass quickly."

He said that so jovially that I could not refuse him. Helplessly I sat down and began to chat with him. Talking with him was really a pleasure. Barely fifteen minutes had passed before Aurobindo-babu slowly came down the stairs with his slippers on. Recognizing the visitor from a distance he called out happily: "Tilak, it's you!" I gave a start. Balgangadhar Tilak! I bowed down at his feet and apologised. He took my hands close to his chest and said: "Forgive you for what? You haven't done anything wrong.

"Why didn't you tell me at once that you were Balgangadhar Tilak? I would have called him down."

"I knew that. But I was aware that Aurobindo was resting.

*

All the sedition cases - against Yugantar, Bande Mataram, Sandhya, etc. - were heard by Kingsford. It was he who ordered Sushil Sen's caning. For these and other reasons the people were aroused against Kingsford. Barin became obsessed with the idea of killing him. When this bomb [a bomb in the form of a book that was sent to Kingsford] failed to explode, it was decided to finish him off by throwing a bomb right at him. Srijut Charuchandra Dutt, Subodh Mullick and Aurobindo considered the matter and gave their unanimous verdict. In the meanwhile Kingsford was transferred to Muzaffarpur.

Before this, Barin had sought Aurobindo's view about assassinating the French mayor of Chandernagore. He came and said: "Sejda, I want to kill the mayor of Chandernagore."

"Why?"

"He broke up a national meeting there and persecuted the local population."

"So he ought to be killed? How many people will you kill in this way? I cannot give my consent to this. Nothing will come of it."

"No, Sejda, if this isn't done, these oppressors will never learn the lesson we have to teach them.

"Very well, if that's what you think, do it." Barin came out and told the boys waiting outside: "Sejda agrees." It is true that Charu Dutt, Subodh Mallick and Aurobindo gave their consent to the murder of Kingsford; but it is difficult to say how far Aurobindo truly consented.

*

During the first days in Alipur jail, we were kept in groups of three, four, five or six to a cell. Later we were kept together in a very large room. People arrested in different places were brought and kept with us. Panchanan Tarka-chudamani, the highly respected scriptural scholar of Bhatpara, and some of his students were arrested, brought in and kept with us.... One day I asked Aurobindo-babu to explain a verse from the Upanishads to me. He explained it to me in a very simple and easy-to-understand way. I told Aurobindo-babu's interpretation to the great Pundit Tarkachudamani. He exclaimed with great joy: "Why Abinash, I could never have explained this as simply as Aurobindo-babu has." When he became acquainted with Aurobindo-babu's Sanskrit scholarship and deep knowledge he was overwhelmed. He encouraged us very much in our practice of yoga and meditation.

*

One of our companions, Hem Sen, used to hide a little of the food that he got from outside. The next morning he distributed it to everyone. In the middle of the night some people took the food out and had a lot of fun sharing it with those who were still awake.... Once when I was passing out some of Hem's biscuits, I noticed that Aurobindo-babu was awake. I stuffed three or four biscuits into his hands. He chortled with delight like a child, stretched out on the floor and started munching them.

*

After the trial [Alipore Bomb Case] had gone on for more than a year, judgement was delivered on 6 May 1909. Aurobindo was acquitted; Barin and Ullaskar were sentenced to be hanged and I and nine others given transportation for life. Some received jail-terms of a few years and others were freed.

We were beside ourselves with joy over Aurobindo's acquittal. No one gave a thought to his own fate at that time. The farewells began. People started embracing Aurobindo. Sri Aurobindo told Barin and Ullas: "You won't be hanged." To me he said: "You'll return soon." We came back to our senses. Those who went back to their cells went with faces stained with dejection. Soon would come the journey to the Andamans.

I was the first to return from the Andamans. Almost four years later, Hem-da and Ullaskar came back.

I met Aurobindo again for the first time in fourteen years in Pondicherry. I was with him for a month. Every day we used to talk on various subjects. I have brought out excerpts of these talks in the monthly Basumati.