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Jatindra Nath Das Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth27 October 1904

Age24 Years (at time of death)

BirthplaceCalcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India

ProfessionFreedom Fighter

NationalityBritish Indian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather: Bankim Behari Das; Mother: Suhashini Das; Younger brother: Kiron Das

Jatindra Nath Das Biography

Jatindra Nath Das (born 27 October 1904 in Calcutta) was a young Indian revolutionary who became a symbol of protest after a prolonged hunger strike in 192

Early life and background

Jatindra Nath Das, often called Jatin, was born on 27 October 1904 in Calcutta in the Bengal Presidency of British India. He grew up in a middle-class family; his parents were Bankim Behari Das and Suhashini Das, and he had a younger brother named Kiron Das. Das completed his school education with good marks and went on to study for a Bachelor of Arts degree at Vidyasagar College (also referred to in some accounts as Bangabasi College) in Calcutta.

Career

From a young age Das became involved in the Indian independence movement. As a teenager he joined local revolutionary circles and was connected with the Anushilan Samiti. In 1921, at about seventeen years old, he took part in the non-cooperation movement. Over time he became associated with revolutionary activity and learned bomb-making techniques from senior revolutionaries.

Das’s political engagement led to repeated arrests. In November 1925 he was detained and sent to Mymensingh jail. While imprisoned there he staged a hunger strike to protest the treatment of political prisoners; after about twenty days the jail superintendent acceded to some demands and Das ended that fast.

In June 1929 he was arrested again in connection with the Lahore Conspiracy Case and sent to Lahore jail. Distressed by the unequal and unhygienic conditions experienced by Indian detainees compared with European prisoners, Das launched another hunger strike on 13 July 1929. He demanded equal treatment for Indian political prisoners. During the strike he endured force-feeding and physical assault that damaged his health and left him paralyzed in parts of his body. Though he was released on bail, the British government initially resisted unconditional release.

After 63 days without food, Jatindra Nath Das died on 13 September 1929 in Lahore jail. His refusal to accept medical advice or medicines during the fast, and his commitment to the protest, were widely reported. Prominent contemporaries commented on the moral force of his action and the example it set to other anti-colonial activists.

Public profile

Das’s death prompted a large public response across India. His body was transported back to Calcutta in a widely attended procession; Subhash Chandra Bose received the coffin at Howrah station. Funeral processions and gatherings in multiple cities drew thousands and involved leaders of the independence movement. The event had a notable impact on nationalist politics and public opinion at the time, contributing to wider protest against the treatment of detained revolutionaries.

Contemporaries and later commentators described Das as serious, soft-spoken, and disciplined in his convictions. Fellow revolutionaries and political leaders lauded his sacrifice; some compared his selfless action to historic examples of sacrifice from Indian tradition. The circulation of photographs and press coverage of his death intensified public reaction and reportedly influenced British policies around handing over bodies of executed or deceased revolutionaries.

Legacy and remembrance

In subsequent decades Das’s sacrifice continued to be commemorated. In 1979 the Government of India issued a postal stamp bearing his name and image. He has been memorialized in film and documentary: his life was depicted in the 2002 feature The Legend of Bhagat Singh and was the subject of a 2009 short documentary titled Immortal Martyr Jatin Das. A statue honoring him stands at Jatindradas Nagar in West Bengal.

Latest updates

Scholars studying the interwar period of Indian history have pointed to Das’s hunger strike as a critical episode that highlighted issues around detention without trial and the treatment of political prisoners. His death is cited in academic discussions of how nationalist politics and public opinion were affected by revolutionary martyrdom in the late colonial period.
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Recent Work

Immortal Martyr Jatin Das

A 2009 thirty-five minute documentary depicting the sacrifice of Jatindra Nath Das.

2009
The Legend of Bhagat Singh (film)

2002 Bollywood feature in which the character of Jatindra Nath Das was portrayed by Amitabh Bhattacharjee.

2002
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Career Highlights

  1. Active member of revolutionary circles including Anushilan Samiti and associated with the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association
  2. Participated in the non-cooperation movement
  3. Staged prolonged hunger strikes in prison to protest treatment of political detainees
  4. Died after a 63-day hunger strike in Lahore jail on 13 September 1929
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Jatindra Nath Das born?

27 October 1904

What is Jatindra Nath Das known for?

Freedom Fighter

What is Jatindra Nath Das’s marital status?

Unmarried