Remembering, on his birthday, the monk, writer, revolutionary, writer, Agnipurush Shri Upendranath Bandyopadhyay. Transported to the Andamans for his activism and involvement with Jugantar, there is so much more to his life, than being only a revolutionary.
Born in Gondolpara of Chandan nagore , and educated at Depleix college, young Upendranath would leave home and wander the length and breadth of this country in the company of sadhus . Along with his childhood friends Hrishikesh Kanjillal and Amarendra Nath Chatterjee.
he would leave a mark as an active member of Jugantor Party and a debt to us , that we can never repay.
Along with Ullaskar Dutta, Barin Ghosh , Hrishikesh Kanjillal, Indubhushan Ray, Abanishchandra Bhattacharya and many others, Upendranath was sentenced to a life term at Cellular Jail. He spent 12 years in captivity there and upon release joined Narayan patrika which was run by Deshbandhu CR Das.
He would be picked by the police again for his revolutionary activites and jailed for a further three years. Upon his release, again , in 1926, he would go back to being a writer and journalist for Amritabazar Patrika, Forward and liberty magazines.
He was also connected to Atmashakti magazine , an endeavour by his friend, Amarendranath Chatterjee, as a publisher and editor. He would also join the newspaper Dainik Basumati as an editor in 1945 and continue in that role till his death. Towards the end of his life he had also been active with the Bengal Provincial Hindu Mahasabha , being selected the chairperson too.
But, the most remarkable aspect of his life was his constant search for Satsang. His ventures with the sadhus, his pilgrimages and his view of the world and the existing social condition. All of which he had compiled in various books that he authored.
Such as Nirbasiter Atmakatha ( Soliloquy of the condemned) , Bhoboghurer Chithi ( Letters of a Vagabond) , Pather Sandhane, Sinn Fein, Dharma and Karma, Unoponchashi and many others.
(This article has been compiled from the tweet thread posted by @BengalAntiquity on June 5, 2023, with minor edits to improve readability and conform to HinduPost style guide)
