A man who chose a hunger strike over submission — and died for it at 64 days — Jatindranath Das remains one of India's most defiant revolutionary figures. On his birth anniversary, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, paid tribute to the Bengali revolutionary, honouring his sacrifice in the freedom struggle.

In his post, CM Choudhary wrote: 'Swatantrata sangram mein adamya sahas, tyag aur veerta ka parichay dene wale mahan krantikari Jatindranath Das ji ki jayanti par unhe sadar naman.' ('Respectful homage to the great revolutionary Jatindranath Das, who displayed indomitable courage, sacrifice and valour in the freedom struggle, on his birth anniversary.')

Who was Jatindranath Das — and why the hunger strike mattered

Jatindranath Das was a Bengali revolutionary associated with the Anushilan Samiti, one of the earliest and most radical underground organisations of India's independence movement. Arrested and lodged in Lahore Central Jail, he launched a hunger strike demanding that political prisoners be treated with dignity — not as common criminals. He died in 1929 after 64 days without food, his death sending shockwaves across the country and drawing international attention to the brutality of colonial prison conditions.

His sacrifice was not a solitary act of despair but a calculated, political statement — one that forced the colonial establishment into an uncomfortable spotlight and galvanised a generation of Indians already restless under British rule.

BJP's pattern of honouring revolutionary figures

CM Choudhary's tribute follows a consistent pattern among BJP leaders of publicly marking the birth and death anniversaries of India's revolutionary icons — figures who often operated outside the mainstream Gandhian movement but whose courage is universally acknowledged. This practice intensified after the launch of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav programme in 2021, which commemorated the contributions of independence-era revolutionaries through nationwide events and tributes.

By invoking Das's 'struggle, sacrifice and unwavering resolve', the Chief Minister frames these anniversaries not merely as historical remembrance but as a living source of national inspiration — a message directed squarely at the citizens of Bihar, a state with its own deep roots in the independence movement.

Ninety-seven years after his death, Jatindranath Das's story still asks the same uncomfortable question of every generation: how much are you willing to give?