Shivraj pays tribute to revolutionary Jatin Das on birth anniversary
Synopsis
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan marked the birth anniversary of revolutionary freedom fighter Yatindranath Das on 27 October 2026, honouring the HSRA member whose 63-day hunger strike in Lahore Central Jail ended in his death on 13 September 1929.
Key Takeaways
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan paid tribute to Yatindranath Das on his birth anniversary on 27 October 2026 .
Das, known as 'Jatin Da' , was a member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) , the same network as Bhagat Singh.
He undertook a 63-day hunger strike in Lahore Central Jail in 1929 , demanding humane treatment for political prisoners.
Das died on 13 September 1929 — one of very few political prisoners in colonial India to die on hunger strike.
Chouhan invoked Das's vow of 'विजय या मृत्यु' ('Victory or death') in his tribute post on X.
A hunger strike so absolute it lasted 63 days — and ended only with death. On Tuesday, 27 October 2026, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan paid floral tribute to Yatindranath Das, the revolutionary freedom fighter who shook British colonial authority from inside a jail cell, on the occasion of his birth anniversary.
Posting in Hindi on X, Chouhan wrote: 'विजय या मृत्यु' — 'Victory or death' — invoking the vow that defined Das's final act of resistance. He described Das as a 'brave son of Mother India, a great revolutionary, and an immortal martyr', adding that 'every particle of the motherland will always be proud of this son who gave everything for the nation.'
The 63-day fast that shook Lahore Central Jail
Yatindranath Das, widely known as 'Jatin Da', was a member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association — the same underground network that counted Bhagat Singh among its ranks. Arrested and imprisoned in Lahore Central Jail, Das joined a hunger strike demanding humane treatment for political prisoners, who were being denied the basic rights accorded even to ordinary convicts under British rules. The strike began in the summer of 1929. Das refused to break it. After 63 days, on 13 September 1929, he died in custody — becoming one of the very few political prisoners in colonial India's history to die on hunger strike. His death sent shockwaves through the independence movement and turned him into a symbol of total, unflinching sacrifice.Why revolutionary anniversaries still resonate in India's political calendar
Chouhan's tribute fits into a well-established pattern in Indian public life: leaders across the political spectrum mark the birth and death anniversaries of independence-era revolutionaries with formal statements, especially those whose stories sit outside the mainstream Gandhian narrative. These commemorations serve both as acts of genuine historical remembrance and as a signal that the full spectrum of the freedom struggle — armed resistance alongside non-violent civil disobedience — holds a place in the national memory. For a senior BJP leader and four-term former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, invoking figures like Jatin Das carries particular resonance: it connects the ruling party's nationalist ethos to the revolutionary wing of the independence movement, underscoring a vision of freedom that was hard, costly, and absolute. Nearly a century after his death, Jatin Das's vow of 'victory or death' still finds its way into the morning posts of India's cabinet ministers — proof that some sacrifices simply refuse to fade.Point of View
Not Gandhian. By invoking Jatin Da's vow of 'victory or death', he anchors the party's nationalist narrative to a tradition of total commitment to the nation. This pattern of revolutionary commemoration by senior ruling-party leaders has intensified in recent years, positioning the BJP as the custodian of the full freedom-struggle spectrum. It also signals a consistent political messaging strategy: on any given week, a cabinet minister's morning post is as likely to be a revolutionary tribute as a policy announcement.
NationPress
27 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Yatindranath Das and why is he remembered?
Yatindranath Das, popularly known as Jatin Da, was an Indian revolutionary and member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association who died on 13 September 1929 after a 63-day hunger strike in Lahore Central Jail, demanding better conditions for political prisoners under British rule.
How long was Jatin Das's hunger strike?
Jatin Das's hunger strike lasted 63 days. He began the fast in the summer of 1929 inside Lahore Central Jail and died on 13 September 1929 without breaking it.
What is Yatindranath Das's birth anniversary date?
Yatindranath Das was born on 27 October. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan paid tribute to him on 27 October 2026, marking the occasion on X.
What was the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association?
The Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) was an underground revolutionary organisation active during India's independence movement. Its members included Bhagat Singh and Yatindranath Das, and it advocated armed resistance against British colonial rule.
Why did Shivraj Singh Chouhan post about Jatin Das?
Chouhan paid tribute to Jatin Das on his birth anniversary as part of the Indian political tradition of commemorating revolutionary freedom fighters. He invoked Das's vow of 'victory or death' and described him as an immortal martyr who gave everything for the motherland.
