Amarendranath Chatterjee - First Steps

First Steps

Sponsored by Raja Pyarimohan and his son Rajendranath Mukherjee (‘Misri Babu’), he established the Uttarpara Shilpa-samiti, installed a carpentry, bought six handlooms and began selling homespun textile. Very soon he looked after the Poragacha unit in Nadia, giving assistance to Jatindra Nath Mukherjee (Bagha Jatin or Jatin Mukherjee). They collaborated in the formation of the Chhatra Bhandar (“Students’ Emporium”), which would be transformed later into the Shramajibi Samabaya (“Workers’ Cooperative”).

While Jatin Mukherjee “worked directly under the orders of Aurobindo Ghose” since 1903, Amarendra met Sri Aurobindo in 1907 and received initiation with these words: “Surrender yourself to God and in the name of the Divine Mother get along with the service of India. That is my diksha to you.” He was further told by Sri Aurobindo: “If we want to secure the freedom of the country, we have to sacrifice everything for it, and we should be ready to give up even our life for it. If we want to free the country, we shall have to conquer the fear of death.” Encouraged by Sri Aurobindo to collect funds for the Extremists’ movement, he came closer to Jatin Mukherjee. Behind their commercial activities, their centres sheltered militants from regional units, as well as provided meeting places for Jatin and other Jugantar leaders.