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Prafulla Dutta

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Prafulla Dutta
প্ৰফুল্ল দত্ত
Prafulla Kumar Dutta
Born14 April 1903
Keraniganj Upazila, Dhaka, Bengal, British India
Died15 January 1980
Calcutta, Independent India
Known forProminent member of Bengal Volunteers
FatherBirendra Chandra Dutta

Prafulla Kumar Dutta also known as Prafulla Dutta (Bengali: প্ৰফুল্ল দত্ত) (14 April 1903 – 15 January 1980) was an Indian revolutionary and member of the Bengal Volunteers, inspired by Hemchandra Ghosh to join the freedom movement. He played a key role in the planning of the Writers' Building attack on 8 December 1930, assisting Benoy Basu, Badal Gupta, and Dinesh Gupta by surveying and mapping the site. Arrested in 1933, Dutta spent five years in prison. After his release, he continued underground revolutionary work and later founded Shilpapeeth, an institution for promoting cottage industries. Following independence, he dedicated himself to public service until he died in 1980.[1][2]

Early life

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Prafulla Dutta was born on 14 April 1903 in the Keraniganj Upazila of Dhaka, in what was then East Bengal. His father's name was Birendra Chandra Dutta He pursued his higher education at the University of Dhaka, where he was a contemporary and classmate of Rasamoy Sur and Manindra Kishore Ray. All three were known for their academic excellence and would later emerge as committed members of the revolutionary organisation Bengal Volunteers.[3]

Prafulla subsequently completed his higher studies in engineering at Banaras Hindu University, where he further developed his technical skills—knowledge that would later contribute to his work in indigenous manufacturing and industrial innovation.

Prafulla was drawn to the Indian independence movement from a young age, deeply moved by the hardships his country faced under British colonial rule. While still a student, he developed a strong sense of patriotism and was influenced by revolutionary leader Hemchandra Ghosh, under whose mentorship he joined the underground Revolutionary movement for Indian independence.[4][5][6]

Involvement with the Bengal Volunteers

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In 1928, during the Indian National Congress session in Kolkata, the revolutionary organisation Bengal Volunteers was established. The group, guided by Hemchandra Ghosh, began operating actively across Bengal to combat British repression through direct action. Dutta became an active member of the Bengal Volunteers in the Midnapore region and joined its Action Squad, a unit responsible for carrying out armed operations.[7]

Role in the Writers' Building Attack

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During this period, British prisons in charge of police Inspector Colonel N.S. Simpson became notorious for his brutal treatment of arrested revolutionaries. In response, the Bengal Volunteers planned a direct assault on the Writers' Building in Calcutta—a central administrative office of the British government in Bengal. On 8 December 1930, Benoy Basu, Badal Gupta, and Dinesh Gupta were assigned to carry out the attack. Before the operation, Prafulla Dutta visited the site and prepared detailed architectural sketches of the building, which were instrumental in planning the assault.[8][9]

Revolutionary Activities in Medinipur

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In 1931, Prafulla Dutta was entrusted with overseeing the Bengal Volunteers' operations in the Midnapore district, a region that had become a focal point of anti-colonial revolutionary activity. He was assisted in these efforts by fellow revolutionary Binay Sengupta. Under Dutta’s direction, the group intensified its campaign against British officials, culminating in the targeted assassinations of two British district magistrates—James Peddie and Robert Douglas.[10]

On 7 April 1931, Magistrate James Peddie was shot dead at an educational exhibition held at Midnapore Collegiate School by revolutionaries Bimal Dasgupta and Jyoti Jiban Ghosh. The assassination was carried out in broad daylight and sent shockwaves through the colonial administration. A little over a year later, on 30 April 1932, another bold attack was executed when Magistrate Robert Douglas was gunned down during a high-security District Board meeting in Midnapore. The assailants, Pradyot Bhattacharya and Prabhangshu Pal, carried out the mission despite the presence of heavy security.[11][12]

Prafulla Dutta played a key role behind the scenes in both operations. He was responsible for recruiting the young revolutionaries involved, training them in armed resistance, securing weapons, and preparing the logistical and tactical plans that enabled the executions to be carried out successfully.[13][14]

Arrest and Imprisonment

On the night of 13 February 1933, Prafulla Dutta was arrested by the British police at his residence in Baranagar, a suburb of Kolkata. Following his arrest, he was held without trial under preventive detention laws and imprisoned in various jails across British India. He spent a total of five years in detention.[15][16][17]

Prafulla Dutta after his arrest

Post-release Activities and Contributions to Industry

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After his release from prison, Dutta continued to support revolutionary activities discreetly, remaining committed to the ideals of self-reliance and national reconstruction. In the years that followed, he turned his attention toward economic empowerment and rural development. He founded an institution named Shilpapeeth (also referred to as Shilpapith) in Baranagar, near Kolkata, to promote cottage industries and indigenous manufacturing.

Under his leadership, Shilpapeeth became a pioneering centre for the production of essential domestic appliances. It is credited with developing India’s first spirit stove, spirit lamp, and hurricane lantern—innovations that supported self-sufficiency and reduced dependence on imported goods during a critical period in the nation's development.[18][19][20][21]

Later Life and Legacy

Following India’s independence in 1947, Dutta dedicated himself to public service and the upliftment of the common people, particularly through the promotion of local industry and rural employment. He continued his work in Baranagar until his death on 15 January 1980.

References

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  1. ^ https://amritmahotsav.nic.in/district-reopsitory-detail.htm?29495
  2. ^ "Revolutionary Organizations". netajisubhasbose. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  3. ^ https://www.midnapore.in/bv.html
  4. ^ https://www.ebanglalibrary.com/180871/%E0%A6%AA%E0%A7%8D%E0%A7%B0%E0%A6%AB%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B2%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B2-%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4/
  5. ^ "Dwitiyo Biplab". 1935.
  6. ^ "Pharasi Biplab". 1955.
  7. ^ "Banhi Biplab". 1980.
  8. ^ Binay Badal Dinesh (in Bengali).
  9. ^ "বিনয়-বাদল-দীনেশের গল্প বলবে '৮/১২'". www.anandabazar.com.
  10. ^ https://archive.org/details/AmiSubhashBolchiByShoileshDey/page/n173/mode/2up
  11. ^ "Bengal Volunteers - বেঙ্গল ভলেন্টিয়ার্স দল - Bangla MCQ". www.banglamcq.in. 16 September 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  12. ^ Rakshit-ray, Bhupendrakishor (1953). Biplab-tirthe Ed.1st.
  13. ^ "Mahajibaner Punyaloke". 1959.
  14. ^ "Mukti-tirtha ed. 4th". 1951.
  15. ^ "Jiban Brittanta". 1927.
  16. ^ "The Bengal Revolutionaries and Freedom Movement". 1909.
  17. ^ Ghosh, KaliCharan (1960). The Roll of Honour. Vidya Bharati Calculutta.
  18. ^ "Gita Katha ed. 1st". 1950.
  19. ^ "The Story of Indian Revolution". Prajnananda Jana Seva Sangha, Calcutta. 1972.
  20. ^ Sarkar, Tanika (2014). Rebels, wives, saints : Designing selves and nations in colonial times. Permanent Black. ISBN 978-81-7824-396-2.
  21. ^ https://www.midnapore.in/bv.html

Bibliography

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  • Hemendranath Dasgupta, Bharater Biplab Kahini, II & III, Calcutta, 1948;
  • Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, History of the Freedom Movement in India, III, Calcutta 1963;
  • Ganganarayan Chandra, Abismaraniya, Calcutta, 1966.


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