A young revolutionary who chose death over submission — Jatindranath Das spent 63 days on hunger strike inside Lahore Central Jail in 1929, shaking the foundations of British rule before taking his last breath on 13 September 1929. On his birth anniversary, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma offered heartfelt tributes to the freedom fighter, calling him an immortal martyr whose sacrifice continues to inspire every Indian toward national service.

Posting on 27 October 2026, CM Sharma wrote in Hindi: '63 dinon ki aitihasik bhookh hadtal kar angrezi hukumat ki neenv hila dene wale amar balidani, Krantiveer Jatindranath Das ji ki jayanti par unhe koti-koti naman!' — ('A salute a million times over to immortal martyr and revolutionary hero Jatindranath Das, who shook the foundations of British rule with a historic 63-day hunger strike, on his birth anniversary!')

The Man Who Turned a Hunger Strike into a Political Earthquake

Jatindranath Das, also known as Jatin Das, was a close associate of Bhagat Singh and a dedicated member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. Arrested in connection with the Lahore Conspiracy Case, he launched his hunger strike not for his own release but to demand humane treatment and basic rights for political prisoners held by the colonial administration. The British government refused to yield. Das did not either — and on Day 63, he was gone.

His death triggered enormous public grief across undivided India. His body was carried in a funeral procession through the streets of Lahore and later Calcutta (now Kolkata), drawing tens of thousands of mourners. It became one of the most powerful acts of passive resistance in the independence movement — a life surrendered not on a battlefield, but inside a prison cell, demanding dignity.

Why Rajasthan's CM is Invoking This Legacy Today

CM Sharma framed Das's sacrifice as an enduring call to national service, noting that his supreme sacrifice for the self-respect of the motherland and the human rights of jailed freedom fighters 'will always inspire every Indian toward service to the nation.' The tribute is part of a well-established pattern among Indian leaders across parties — particularly from the BJP — of formally marking the anniversaries of revolutionary figures from the 1920s and 1930s who pursued armed or radical resistance against colonial rule.

For Rajasthan, a state with deep roots in both princely-era nationalism and grassroots independence movements, such commemorations carry particular resonance. Annual observances on 27 October keep this chapter of history in public conversation — especially among students and younger citizens who encounter these names primarily in textbooks.