Bipin Chandra Pal

This article is about the Indian nationalist leader. For the Indian historian, see Bipin Chandra.

Bipin Chandra Pal
Born	(1858-11-07)7 November 1858 Habiganj, Sylhet District, Bangladesh, British India
Alma mater	University of Calcutta
Occupation(s)	Politician Freedom fighter
Organization	Brahmo Samaj
Political party	Indian National Congress
Movement	Indian Independence movement
Signature

Bipin Chandra Pal (; 7 November 1858 – 20 May 1932) was an Indian nationalist, a freedom fighter, writer, orator and social reformer of Sylheti origin. He was one of the main architects of the Swadeshi movement. He stood against the partition of West Bengal.

Early life and background

Bipin Chandra Pal was born in the village of Poil, Habiganj, Sylhet, Bengal Presidency of British India, in a Hindu Bengali Kayastha Vaishnava family. His father was Ramchandra Pal, a Persian scholar and small landowner. He studied and taught at the Church Mission Society College (now the St. Paul's Cathedral Mission College), an affiliated college of the University of Calcutta. His son was Niranjan Pal, one of the founders of Bombay Talkies. His son-in-law was the ICS officer, S. K. Dey, who later became a union minister.

Work

Pal is known as the 'Father of Revolutionary Thoughts' in India and was one of the freedom fighters of India. Pal became a major leader of the Indian National Congress. At the Madras session of congress held in 1887, Bipin Chandra Pal made a strong plea for repeal of the Arms Act which was discriminatory in nature. Along with Lala Lajpat Rai and Bal Gangadhar Tilak he belonged to the Lal, Bal, Pal trio that was associated with revolutionary activity. Aurobindo Ghosh and Pal were recognised as the chief exponents of a new national movement revolving around the ideals of Purna Swaraj, Swadeshi, boycott and national education. His programme consisted of Swadeshi, Boycott and national education. He preached and encouraged the use of Swadeshi and the Boycott of foreign goods to eradicate poverty and unemployment. He wanted to remove social evils from the form and arouse the feelings of nationalism through national criticism. He had no faith in mild protests in the form of Non-Cooperation with the British colonialists. On that one issue, the Assertive nationalist leader had nothing common with Mahatma Gandhi. During last six years of his life he parted company with the Congress and led a secluded life. Sri Aurobindo referred to him as one of mightiest prophets of Nationalism.

As a journalist, Pal worked for Bengal Public Opinion, The Tribune and New India, where he propagated his brand of nationalism. He wrote several articles warning India of the changes happening in China and other geopolitical situations. In one of his writings, describing where the future danger for India will come from, Pal wrote under the title "Our Real Danger". The most prominent books of Pal include Indian Nationalism, Nationality and Empire, Swaraj and the Present Situation, The Basis of Social Reform, The Soul of India.

Further reading

• Owen, N (2007), The British Left and India, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-923301-2
• Lenman, Bruce; Marsden, Hilary, eds. (2005). Chambers Dictionary of World History. London: Chambers Harrap. ISBN 978-0-550-10094-8 – via Credo Reference.