Hemchandra Kanungo
Who was Hemchandra Kanungo?
Indian Bengali revolutionary
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Hemchandra Kanungo (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Hemchandra Das Kanungo was born on 4 August 1871 in Belda and passed away on 8 April 1951. He was an Indian nationalist, revolutionary, and writer who played a major role in Bengal's early armed struggle for independence against British rule. As a member of the Anushilan Samiti, one of Bengal's leading revolutionary groups, Kanungo dedicated much of his life to India's independence through direct actions and training young revolutionaries.
In 1907, Kanungo went to Paris, possibly becoming the first Indian revolutionary to travel abroad specifically for military and political training. While there, he connected with Russian émigré revolutionaries and learned to make picric acid bombs. He brought this knowledge back to India in January 1908, affecting nationalist movements both in the British Raj and in Indian communities abroad, and changing the approach to armed resistance against colonial rule.
After returning to India, Kanungo set up a secret bomb-making factory for the Anushilan Samiti in Maniktala, near Kolkata. Key figures like Aurobindo Ghosh, who later became known as Sri Aurobindo, and his brother Barindra Kumar Ghosh were involved. Kanungo also helped start the Jugantar party, a central group of revolutionary activists in Bengal, and wrote for the Jugantar Patrika to motivate and recruit young men.
In 1908, Kanungo was arrested and became a main co-accused with Aurobindo Ghosh in the Alipore Bomb Case, a major political trial in colonial India. He was convicted and sentenced to life in the Andaman Islands, serving time there until he was released in 1921. Beyond his direct revolutionary work, Kanungo also contributed to the independence movement symbolically. He helped design the Calcutta flag, which became the basis for the first flag of independent India raised by Bhikaiji Cama on 22 August 1907 at the International Socialist Conference in Stuttgart, Germany.
For his mentorship to many Indian revolutionaries, the poet Kazi Nazrul Islam gave Kanungo the title Biplabi Dronacharya, meaning Dronacharya for the revolutionaries, referring to the legendary teacher of warriors in Hindu epics. Kanungo is widely seen as a key figure in the early phase of Bengal's revolutionary independence movement.
Before Fame
Hemchandra Das Kanungo was born in 1871 in Belda, when Indian nationalist feelings were starting to form due to years of British colonial rule. In the late 1800s, Bengal was buzzing with intellectual and political activity, producing reformers, writers, and activists who would shape the independence movement in different ways. The 1905 partition of Bengal by Viceroy Lord Curzon was a key event that stirred up anti-colonial feelings and pushed many young Bengalis toward more radical actions.
Kanungo came out of this vibrant atmosphere as a member of the Anushilan Samiti, a secret group that encouraged physical fitness and nationalist awareness as steps toward organized resistance. His decision to travel to Paris in 1907 to get military training from Russian revolutionary exiles showed his strong determination and global outlook. This set the stage for the role he would play upon returning to India.
Key Achievements
- Travelled to Paris in 1907 and acquired bomb-making knowledge from Russian revolutionary exiles, which was then disseminated across Indian nationalist networks.
- Co-founded the secret bomb factory at Maniktala near Kolkata for the Anushilan Samiti alongside Aurobindo Ghosh and Barindra Kumar Ghosh.
- Served as a founding member of the Jugantar party, a central organisation of revolutionary independence activists in Bengal.
- Contributed to the design of the Calcutta flag, which became the basis for the first flag of independent India raised abroad in 1907.
- Received the honorific title 'Biplabi Dronacharya' from Kazi Nazrul Islam for his extensive mentorship of revolutionary fighters.
Did You Know?
- 01.Kanungo learned bomb-making techniques from Russian émigré revolutionaries in Paris in 1907, making him a direct conduit between European and Indian radical movements.
- 02.He was one of the creators of the Calcutta flag, which formed the basis for the first flag of independent India raised by Bhikaiji Cama at the International Socialist Conference in Stuttgart on 22 August 1907.
- 03.Kazi Nazrul Islam personally gave Kanungo the title 'Biplabi Dronacharya,' comparing his role as teacher to the revered martial instructor of the Mahabharata.
- 04.Kanungo was sentenced to transportation for life to the Andaman Islands following the Alipore Bomb Case of 1908–09, but was released after serving approximately thirteen years.
- 05.He is considered by historians to be probably the first Indian revolutionary to travel abroad specifically for military and political training.