Struggle
Bengal Volunteers observe Netaji Birthday with Martial Prowess
Netaji Subhash Chadra Bose……He had been the Bravest & Brightest and quintessential paradigm of rebellious vigor in the flagitious battle to wrest national freedom from British yoke….so it’s a duty to observe his birthday with martial prowess.
Bengal Volunteers, the revolutionary organization built up by he himself, observed His birthday at Malanga Lane, Kolkata on January 23, 2025 with the aforesaid fortitude. What can be the best epitome of martial prowess by the civilians came to fore when the time of his birth at 12:15 pm got resonated amid conchbell, firecrackers and bands and hundreds of commoners. The associate organization was ‘Jatiya Artatran Samity’ formed by illustrious Sri Gopal Chandra Mukherjee alias Gopal Pantha (famed for commanding the vitriolic Hindu Resistance during ‘Direct Action Day’ in August, 1946). It’s worth mentioning, previous avatars of both organizations ‘Muktisangha’ and ‘Atmonnati Samity’ of ‘Bengal Volunteers’ and ‘Jatiya Artran Samity’ had jointly spearheaded the ‘Rodda Arms Heist’ on August 26, 1914 leaving the British Raj bewildered. And after 111 years, both have united once more in the coeval political crucible of Bengal when Hindus, being worst fallout of Partition in 1947, continue to be persecuted on the other side of international border or Bangladesh, set to be East Pakistan once more.
True to the word, Bengal Volunteers with its cadres, adorned in INA cap, boots and martial discipline as instructed, remained in the four-day long celebration with poise, strength and resolve. No struggle is enriched without its own literature and hence, a distinct table comprising books in English, Bengali and Hindi were put on display. Apart from a multitude of collection on Netaji, the table consisted of books penned by Bengal’s venerated nationalist revolutionary leaders of various organizations including Anushilan Samiti, Jugantar, Sree Sangha (not to speak of BV and its own publication) and sharp weapons stole the show. Flocked by hundreds of astonished people and their sole question, “Has ‘Bengal Volunteers’ been revived?” reminded all of the covetable emergence of lost nationalist vigor.
There had indeed been a time when lathi-wielding strongmen and swordsmen could be found at every nook of Bengal Presidency. During the heyday of Bengal’s Swadeshi revolutionary upsurge, tens of hundreds of akhadas were formed by secret revolutionary societies to train youngsters and also rest of civilians in these two disciplines to intensify private defence against all odds. On January 24, a group of trained children graced with Bengal Volunteers badges presented the same with excellence, amidst overwhelming applauds.
A quiz competition on national revolutionary struggle was also organized among students of varied schools and colleges evoking a strong response in the neighborhood. Drawing competitions also attracted students indiscriminating all sections of the society.
Bengal Volunteers, in short, had been one of the fiercest combatants to wrest national freedom sacrificing hundreds of its members and now, it’s driven to invigorate the military ideological conviction of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.