Agnikanya of Bengal

An armed activist, freedom fighter, and communist, Kalpana Datta was a revolutionary who fought passionately for the cause she believed in. Breaking the shackles of gendered perspectives, Kalpana led a life unknown to many yet impacted the Freedom Movement deeply.

Kalpana Datta diving into the realms of Communism; Image Source: Public Domain

Flipping through the pages of history books, one can find an endless amount of famous men being mentioned for all to know about. Names like Nehru, Gandhi, Bose, and many more are at the tip of every Indian's tongues. The credit for the Indian freedom movement against the British is widely given to such men, which is rightfully so. Yet the unwritten names of men and women who were key players in these revolutions fade with time, and their legends never get passed on.

One such unwritten legend is of a woman named Kalpana Datta, whose story began on this day in 1913 in the Chittagong District where she was born to a Baidya family. Unlike many revolutionaries, Kalpana’s family wasn’t an ardent participant of the Swadeshi Movement, for they continued to use foreign goods despite the ongoing wave of self-made goods. Kalpana after clearing her matriculation examination in 1929 from Chittagong, went to complete her graduation in Science from Calcutta. During this period, this middle-class-family girl’s life quickly took a turn, for fate knew she belonged in the Battle.

Kalpana became acquainted with Chhatri Sangha (Women Students Association) in Calcutta. Her world was now exposed to the struggles of oppressed Indians, and their ardent fight for their freedom. Her everlasting bond with Preetilata Waddedar was made on the grounds of their college, and the fire of revolution burning inside her heart led Kalpana to embrace these similar feelings that were earlier confined to the depths of her subconscious.

Putting her passion for Science aside for a greater cause, Kalpana joined the historic Chittagong Armoury Raid that was carried out in 1930 after getting deeply inspired by her introduction with Surya Sen, the leader of the same.

Under his guidance, she learnt all about the complexities of guerrilla warfare and revolutionary movements. Kalpana had now fully transitioned into a force of nature, breaking stereotypes along with her female companions at a time when women weren’t considered to be worthwhile participants of such warfare.

Kalpana’s fatalness to the colonizers soon alerted the Britishers but instilled the trust of Surya Sen. Having full faith in her, he ordered her to lead the attack on the European Club in Chittagong in May 1931. However, the British were one step ahead this time, and arrested her a week before the raid, further proving the threatening influence of a woman who is otherwise brushed under the carpet.

The news of her arrest caught the attention of Rabindranath Tagore, who urgently worked for her bail. After her release, Kalpana decided to go underground, igniting the fuel of revolution from the sidelines in loud whispers, which reached even the darkest of nooks. Many a time, Kalpana would dress up as a man to avoid getting caught. However, her hiding place was raided by the police who arrested Surya Sen but couldn’t capture Kalpana, who had fled off desperately. Yet, she met with another doomsday just a few months later in 1933.

Upon Kalpana’s second arrest, she was sentenced to transportation for life and was ultimately released in 1939. By that time, the people closest to her heart- Surya Sen and Preetilata had given their lives for the Battle, which deeply affected Kalpana’s soul.

With the baton passed to her, Kalpana kept their voices alive and joined the Communist Party of India in 1940. Her joining the CPI was monumental to her life, as it was here where she met her beloved husband and noted journalist Puran Chand Joshi.

In the horrific Bengal Famine in 1943, Kalpana worked as an ardent relief worker, desperate to free the affected people from their undeserved fate. Although left out as a prominent revolutionary in various books, Kalpana decided to pen down her own legend and wrote an autobiographical book in Bengali, titled: “Chittagong Armoury Raiders: Reminiscences", which was published in English in October 1945.

After losing the elections in the Bengal Legislative Assembly, Kalpana joined the Indian Statistical Institute, and worked there until her retirement. She breathed her last on 8 February 1995 after leading a life so iconic that remained unknown to many. Her written memoir serves as one of the only pieces to have survived the Chittagong attacks. Her strong passion inspired Surya Sen to call her the ‘Agnikanya of Bengal’, a name faithful to its owner.

Deepika Padukone playing Kalpana Datta in a period drama. Image Source: The Better Home