Dutta, Kanailal

Dutta, Kanailal (1888-1908) a revolutionary of the Yugantar group, was born in his maternal uncle's house at Chandannagar, West Bengal. His father, Chunilal Dutta, an accountant in the naval department at Bombay, came from Kharsarai Begumpur village in Hughli district.

Kanailal went to Girgaon Aryan Education Society School, Bombay, and then Chandannagar Duplex Vidyamandir (now renamed Kanailal Vidyamandir). In 1908 he sat for the BA examination from hughli mohsin college.

Kanailal's meeting with Professor Charuchandra Roy, who had organised the revolutionary Yugantar, initiated him into the revolutionary movement. Kanailal started reading the Yugantar, mouthpiece of Indian revolutionary groups, as well as accounts of revolutionary movements and biographies of nationalists and revolutionaries. He also developed a close association with the Gondolpara group led by Srishchandra Ghosh, from whom Kanailal learnt the use of firearms. The movement against the partition of Bengal in 1905 provided a new impetus to the Chandannagar group, with Kanailal in the forefront.

After completing his BA examination, Kanailal became involved in the activities of a revolutionary group in Kolkata led by barindrakumar ghosh. Initially, Kanailal worked out of a house at Bhabanipur, but later moved to 15 Gopi Mohan Dutta Lane in Baghbazar.

On 2 May 1908 Kanailal was arrested, along with aurobindo ghosh, Barindra Kumar and others, in connection with the assassination attempt by prafulla chaki and kshudiram basu on Kingsford on April 30. They were detained in Alipur Jail (now Presidency Jail). One of the revolutionaries, Narendranath Goswami, had turned approver, and Kanailal and Satyendranath Basu, another detainee, were instructed to kill him. On 31 August 1908, the two carried out their orders, killing Naren Goswami inside the jail hospital.

In the subsequent trial, Kanailal was sentenced to death by hanging. The sentence was carried out on 10 November 1908. [Sambaru Chandra Mohanta]