Birendranath Sasmal

Birendranath Sasmal was born in an aristocratic Mahishya family at Chandiveti village, Contai, in the former undivided Midnapore district. His father was a local Zamindar, Biswambhar Sasmal and his mother was Anandamoyee Devi.{{Cite book |last=Senapati and Das |first=Uma and Dulal Krishna |title=মাহিষ্য রত্নাবলী-জীবনী শতক |publisher=Tuhina Publications |year=2018 |isbn=9788194434641 |edition=2nd |location=Kolkata |publication-date=2020 |pages=153 to 156 |language=Bengali |trans-title=Mahishya Ratnavali-Biographical Century}} His great grandfather Karunakar Sasmal had purchased rights over a few taluks after the Permanent Settlement of 1793. Brahmoism had made a deep impact on his family. Few of his family members had also converted to the Brahmo religion prior.

He was admitted to the esteemed Contai High School in 1893 and passed the Entrance Examination in 1900 from the same school; there, the teachings of two nationalistic teachers, Tarak Gopal Ghosh and Sashibhushan Chakraborty greatly influenced him. Subsequently, he got admission into Metropolitan College, Calcutta and then transferred to Ripon College of Calcutta as he was influenced by Surendranath Banerjee. After finishing his college education he left for England in 1902 to study law at the Middle Temple; during this time he travelled extensively, visiting the United States, France and Japan. During his 5 months stay in New York, he was both fascinated and intrigued by the application of the Democratic ideals and principles in actual day to day practice, for which he had a lifelong deep admiration. One of the inspirations for his desire to pursue law as a subject was the fact that at that time, there was an evident scarcity of lawyers willing to stand up for the nationalistic cause or to represent the revolutionaries.{{Cite web |date=2021-08-15 |title=Independence Day{{!}} মৃতদেহ দণ্ডায়মান রেখে শেষকৃত্য! ভোট এলেই নেতাদের মনে পড় তাঁকে... |url=https://bengali.news18.com/news/features/birendranath-sasmal-a-life-to-be-remembered-akd-642873.html |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=bengali.news18.com |language=bn}} He returned to India in 1904 after becoming a barrister.{{Cite web |date=2021-08-16 |title=মেদিনীপুরের লৌহ মানব বীরেন্দ্রনাথ শাসমলের অবদান আজও ভেলেননি গ্রামবাসীরা |url=https://bengali.news18.com/news/local-18/purba-medinipur-iron-man-of-medinipur-birendranath-sasmal-contribution-in-indian-independence-is-immense-pbd-642541.html |access-date=2022-03-04 |publisher=News18 Bengali |language=bn}}

After being awarded his degree in law, Sasmal was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple in England in 1904, he returned to Calcutta and started his practice as a barrister at the Calcutta High Court. Although, he never believed in the principles of armed struggle himself but nevertheless defended revolutionaries in various criminal cases and saved them from the gallows. In 1905, during the protest against the Partition of Bengal he took a leading role in the protests in the District. In 1906, he represented a young Khudiram Bose as his Defence counsel, who had been arrested on the charges of distributing seditious pamphlets against the British Raj in Midnapore town and managed to exonerate him.

During his years of legal practice in Calcutta, he had established himself as a competent lawyer and a distinguished member of the Calcutta Bar association. He was known for his knack in both Civil cases, as well as Criminal cases, especially those against the British Raj. He sometimes even travelled to other districts to represent the accused in cases of the nationalistic cause. However early in his career, after a few years of practice he temporarily switched to the Medinipur District Court in 1907, because he felt disconnected from his roots.

Using his skills as a lawyer, he interpreted and marked the various oppressive acts passed by the British Raj and led protests against it. This was expressed during his protests against the Bengal village self government act of 1919.{{Cite journal |last=Mohanta |first=Rahul Kumar |title=Birendranath Sasmal and the Freedom Struggle in Midnapore: A Historical Study |url= |journal=The Creative Launcher |pages=123 to 127}} He became a member of the District board and Municipality, and actively engaged in various forms of social welfare and also, played a crucial role during the Midnapore floods of 1913, 1920, 1926 and 1933. In 1913, he became the convener of the session of Bengal Provincial Political Conference at Mymensingh. Next year, he represented Medinipur district at the Bengal Provincial Conference. By 1913, he again resumed his practice at the Calcutta High Court, but in 1921, gave up his flourishing and thriving practice and committed himself to the Non Cooperation movement. For his participation, he was arrested along with Chittaranjan Das, Subhas Chandra Bose, Maulana Azad and others and was imprisoned in the Alipore Central Jail.{{Cite book |last=Devi |first=Aparna |title=Maanush Chittaranjan |publisher=Paschimbanga Bangla Akademi |year=2020 |edition=1st |location=Kolkata |publication-date=2020 |pages=174 |language=English |trans-title=Chittaranjan}}

He was once again arrested in 1930, for the leading role he played during the Civil Disobedience movement. Immediately after his release he rushed to Chittagong to defend the accused including Surya Sen, Pritilata Waddedar and others, in the Chittagong armoury raid case, he managed to acquit 32 revolutionaries and 12 others were deported to the Andamans and 2 received only minor three-year prison sentences. He refused to charge any legal fees for this service. Once again, he acted as the Defence counsel for the accused in the Douglas Shooting Case by the members of the Bengal Volunteers including Pradyot Kumar Bhattacharya and Prabhanshu Sekhar Pal. However, Pradyot Kumar Bhattacharya was hanged due to his brother's betrayal.

For political reasons, Midnapore district was proposed to divided into two by British Raj and Deshapran started protesting against it. He toured the region and organised protest movements. The proposal for partition was withdrawn. He started practising law at Calcutta High Court in 1904. In 1913 leaving Calcutta High Court, Birendranath practiced in Midnapore District Court for a few years but later he again joined the High Court. In the High Court, he defended the accused in the Chittagong Armed Robbery case. He was jailed for nine months by British Raj for calling a general strike during the visit of King George V to British India.{{Cite book |last=Devi |first=Aparna |title=Chittaranjan |publisher=Paschimbanga Bangla Akademi |year=January 2020 |edition=1st |location=Kolkata |pages=184 |language=English}} During his stay at Presidency Jail he wrote his autobiography named Sroter Trina. He was nationally very well known during the Indian freedom movement and had direct correspondences with leaders such as Motilal Nehru and Madan Mohan Malaviya.{{Cite web |last=সংবাদদাতা |first=নিজস্ব |title=স্মৃতিচারণায় উজ্জ্বল দেশপ্রাণের দেশপ্রেম |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/west-bengal/midnapore/people-remembered-birendranath-sasmal-at-vidyasagar-university-1.727680 |access-date=2022-03-04 |website=anandabazar.com|language=bn}}

Sasmal played a leading role in the 1920 Calcutta Session of the National Congress and supported the Non-cooperation movement of 1921. Sasmal, by then, had joined the Swarajya Party of Chittaranjan Das. He was made Secretary of the Bengal Provincial Congress. During this period he also successfully led the local anti-Union Board agitation in Midnapore.

Bengal Village Self Government Act was passed in 1919. According to that law, 227 Union Boards were formed in the district. Birendranath took up the cause of his people, and plunged into Boycott movement. He declared that he would walk on bare feet until the Union Boards were not done away with.{{Cite news|url=http://www.midnapore.in/bi.html |title= Legacy of Midnapore – Birendranath Sasmal}} On 17 December 1921, 226 Union Boards were abolished and the last one was abolished the next year. In a gathering, with loud cheers, people put shoes on the feet of their leader.{{Cite book |last=Ahir |first=Rajiv |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HBziwQEACAAJ&q=a+brief+history+of+modern+india |title=A Brief History of Modern India |date=2018 |publisher=Spectrum Books (P) Limited |isbn=978-81-7930-688-8 |pages=807}}

Chairman of the Medinipur District Board (1923–1924)

In 1923, with a huge majority Deshapran Birendranath Sasmal was elected Chairman of the Midnapore district Board. Prior to his election, Midnapore had been usually politically governed by people from other districts who had previously migrated to Medinipur district for employment or other reasons, which henceforth changed after his grand victory. He worked diligently for the development of Midnapore district. He improved the health department, ensured the supply of water, spread education and developed the roads. Dispensaries increased by a large number during his tenure as chairman. He also strengthened the primary education in the district, sanctioning a huge sum of 51,000,000 Rupees, which was an unprecedented amount for education. He was also, instrumental in establishing the innovative National Schools throughout the district, which were one of a kind.

Birendranath's was also involved in the Civil disobedience movement. His followers took active part in organizing people. Satyagrahis came to Narghat and Pichhhaboni to break Salt Law by peaceful means. The Satyagraha assumed the form of a mass movement in the area.

Opposition to district division (1932-1933)

In 1932, a plan was hatched by the British Raj to separate some bordering regions of the Midnapore district, and to amalgate them into Odisha. Along, with some of the other leading intellectuals and prominent political leaders of the district, Deshapran Birendranath Sasmal started fierce protests against it. He was held to be the undisputed leader of the district and was regarded as the principal spokesperson regarding its best interests. Apart from the direct protests he also wrote a d published numerous articles in the mainstream media to bring to light, the unfair move made by the Government. Due to his earnest opposition the British Raj could not succeed in their attempt at separating Midnapore district from Bengal. Ultimately, Odisha was formed without the Midnapore district in 1935.{{Cite web |title=Caste, Region and History: Mahisyas and the ‘Anti-Partition’ Mobilisation in 1932 |url=https://www.sahapedia.org/caste-region-and-history-mahisyas-and-the-%E2%80%98anti-partition%E2%80%99-mobilisation-1932#_edn1 |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=Sahapedia |language=en}}

In 1933, Birendranath was elected to Calcutta Corporation. At the request of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, he contested in Central Legislative Assembly election from a two–district seat of Burdwan division and won it but he breathed his last before the result was announced.

In 1924, when Birendranath Sasmal claimed the post of Chief executive officer of the Calcutta Corporation, an untoward situation occurred. A battle took place between Subhas Chandra Bose and Birendranath Sasmal for the post of the Chief executive officer of Calcutta Municipal Corporation, which then dominated political life of Bengal. Bose was ultimately choosen even though, Chittaranjan Das had originally proposed to reward the services of Sasmal by offering him the job, he soon backed out. One of them went so far as to comment: ‘Will a keot from Midnapur come and rule in Calcutta?’ Sasmal asked his mentor Das two questions at a meeting of the Bengal Provincial Congress Committee (BPCC): '(1) Subhas Bose had been elected member and his brother Sarat Bose alderman of the Calcutta Corporation by the Swaraj Party. Why was the BPCC bent on establishing the mastery of one family over the Corporation? (2) In the highest executive post of the Corporation, it was being proposed that he be bypassed and another man appointed. Was this because he was held in contempt for his comparatively low caste?' Das expressed annoyance with the first question and gave an inadequate answer to the second which did not satisfy Sasmal.{{Cite book |last=Das |first=Bishnupada |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=wuLZAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y |title=Some Aspects of Socio-economic Changes in South Western Frontier Bengal Since Introduction of Neo-Vaiṣṇavism |date=1996 |publisher=Firma KLM Private Limited |isbn=978-81-7102-049-2 |pages=157 to 158 |language=en}} A newspaper also, reported that he was greeted with derogatory slogans because of his Oriya origin and he was denied the post.{{Cite book |last=Mohanty |first=Nivedita |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iDNuAAAAMAAJ |title=Oriya Nationalism: Quest for a United Orissa, 1866–1956 |date=2005 |publisher=Prafulla |isbn=978-81-901589-6-1 |pages=263}} Sasmal left the BPCC in thorough disillusionment and displeasure and returned to his law practice and control of local politics in Medinipur district. His unfortunate departure was subjected to great political debate and discussion during the contemporary times, the general public stance was that Bengal had lost one of it's foremost and highly respected leaders of the Indian independence movement to petty internal politics. Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray publicly expressed his dejection and disgust at this incident. Motilal Nehru, even wrote him a letter requesting him to return.

While practicing at the Midnapore District Court, he married Hemantakumari Devi, a Kashmiri Pandit lady. To make her familiar to the Bengali language and culture, he made a library in his home. He had a daughter, Ashrukona and a son, Bimalananda with her.

On 19 November 1934, he was returning from Medinipur to Calcutta after a council election and due to a matter related to his legal practice. En route, at Kharagpur, he was purposely misinformed by a miscreant that he had lost the recently held national election of the Burdwan division, the sudden and unexpected news had a hugely negative effect on his health, to the extent that he suffered high blood pressure which consequently resulted in a Brain stroke. Despite having arranged for him immediate medical attention by his co passengers, his health remained unstable. However, after his arrival at the Howrah station he received the correct information, that in reality he had won the election. He was escorted to his Calcutta house by his well wishers and supporters who had gathered to congratulate him on his victory. Nevertheless, this great mental turmoil had drastically affected his health. Birendranath Sasmal died of a heart attack on 24 November 1934 at the age of 53. As per his last wishes, he was cremated vertically upright, with his head held up towards the sky, at the Keoratola crematorium with great ceremony.{{Cite journal |last=Mohanta |first=Rahul Kumar |date=April 2019 |title=Revisiting Deshapran Birendranath Sasmal |url= |journal=The Creative Launcher |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=74 to 78}}{{Cite news |last=মাইতি |first=সুদীপ |title=সেই নেতারা, সেই রাজনীতি |url=https://www.anandabazar.com/editorial/essays/essay-birendranath-sasmal-the-the-uncrowned-king-of-midnapore/cid/1390582 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230405165330/https://www.anandabazar.com/editorial/essays/essay-birendranath-sasmal-the-the-uncrowned-king-of-midnapore/cid/1390582 |archive-date=2023-04-05 |access-date=2025-03-13 |language=bn}}

Sasmal was an ardent follower of Mahatma Gandhi and had unflinching faith in Non-Violent movement. He thought, "Violence begets violence". Sasmal used to say, "For whom shall I live if not for the people?". He was given the honorific sobriquet "Uncrowned king" of Medinipur by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray. He had bitter experience in politics of Calcutta, but he was loved in Kanthi and Tamluk.{{Cite web |date=2023-11-24 |title=Birendranath Sasmal : মেদিনীপুর সমন্বয় সংস্থার উদ্যোগে মুকুটহীন সম্রাট' বীরেন্দ্রনাথ শাসমল কে দেশপ্রাণ স্মরণ - Dnews |url=https://dnews.in/west-medinipur/medinipur/birendranath-sasmal-patriotic-commemoration-of-uncrowned-emperor-birendranath-sasmal-by-midnipur-coordinating-organization/ |access-date=2025-03-13 |language=en-GB}} A road in South Kolkata (Deshparan Sasmal Road) is named after him. Deshapran community development block in Kanthi subdivision is named after Sasmal. Deshapran Mahavidyalaya, a college under Vidyasagar University has been named after him. Also, a railway station near Bajkul has been established in his name. Schools, Clubs, Organisations and streets that bear his name indicate his permanent seat in the heart of people.

• Deshapran Mahavidyalaya
• Deshapran railway station
• List of members of the Middle temple

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• {{cite book |last=Roy |first=Ranjit |year=2012 |chapter=Sasmal, Birendranath |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Sasmal,_Birendranath |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh}}

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Category:Bengali people

Category:1881 births

Category:1934 deaths

Category:Members of the Central Legislative Assembly of India

Category:Surendranath College alumni

Category:University of Calcutta alumni

Category:Surendranath Law College alumni

Category:Lawyers in British India

Category:Gandhians