Atulkrishna Ghosh - Political Background

Political Background

Since 1906, with his cousin Nolinikanta Kar, Atul had been frequenting Jatindranath Mukherjee who was their neighbour in Kushtia Sub-division. They both entered the local Anushilan Samiti. W. Sealy in his Report will note “Atul Ghosh and Nolini Kanta Kar, two dangerous and important absconders of the gun-running conspiracy.” (p23). At Kolkata, thanks to Jatin, they both came very close to Sri Aurobindo. Whereas Nolini practised wrestling with Kikkar Singh, Atul became an expert trainer in self-defence at the Pataldanga branch of the Anushilan Samiti :Atul Krishna Ghosh & Jatindranath Mukherjee founded PATHURIAGHATA BYAM SAMITY which was n important centre os armed revoloulion of indian national movement. here he came across a number of revolutionaries, including Sachin Sanyal’s Benares group and Biren Datta Gupta whom he recommended to Jatindranath. Biren received from the latter, in January 1910, the mandate to assassinate Samsul Alam, Deputy Superintendent of Police, who was man-handling the under-trial prisoners of the Alipore Bomb case. In connection with Biren’s successful mission, Jatindranath with forty-six associates were placed on trial in the Howrah conspiracy case. Inside the prison, Jatindranath learnt from his emissaries abroad that Germany was preparing for war against Great Britain. After his release in 1911, Jatindranath suspended all extremist activities, left Kolkata under the responsibility of Atul, himself forging a grand federation of regional units in the districts. A relentless organiser, Atul sheltered revolutionaries from various units as much in his parents’ house at Jaduboyra, as at the Kolkata residence of Meghamala and K.P. Basu, at 11 Mahendra Gossain’s Lane, where there was a free dormitory with homely meals. Even leaders of rival parties like Pratul Ganguli of Dhaka admit having enjoyed this hospitality, at great expense and risk on Atul’s side: “We became great friends with Atulkrishna and had confidence in him. I have very often been to his Darjipara residence and spent nights there. He had grown intimate with several of our members, almost close friends. We considered him to be, somewhat, our own colleague and he sincerely hoped to unite our parties so that we could all work together. Frankly speaking, it was thanks to his wish that I met Jatin Mukherjee…”. Disappointed by the duplicity of the Dhaka branch, “some of its important workers, however, like Sachin Sanyal and Nagen (Girija) Datta, severed their connection with it and, introduced by Atulkrishna, worked with Rasbehari Bose in Upper India.” Atul’s elder brother Aghorenath, a civil surgeon, often looked after the bullet wounds received by the patriots.