The years 1907 and 1908 are ever memorable in the history of Bengal.
The current of a new spirit had flowed in, inundating every nook and
corner of the province. The soul of the nation became awake. A divine
touch had just broken the eternal sleep of the nation. Lashed into
action by the high-handed measures of Lord Curzon, the lethargy of the
people died away, they tried for the first time to stand upon their
own legs and boldly face the world without fear of death. In an evil
moment Lord Curzon sanctioned the partition of Bengal against the
united voice of the people. This led to the manifestation of a new
spirit in Bengal. A heavy out-burst of Anti-European feeling followed;
a strong hatred against every form of Europeanism, a revengeful
attitude to their commerce and industry, a growing apathy to
everything associated with them, led to the repudiation or abandoning
immediate Anglicised past, and a new spirit entered into politics and
created a mighty and dynamic yearning towards a truly national future.
This had for its realisation at its basis Swaraj, National Education
and Boycott.
Persecutions were inaugurated by the Bureaucratic Government. On the
third of May 1908 in the still hours of night Srijut Aravinda Ghosh,
the leader of the national movement of Bengal, along with other
brilliant young men were arrested on a charge of being implicated in a
conspiracy against the established government. Evidence of all sorts
was piled up by the prosecuting counsel. At this critical moment
Providence sent Chitta Ranjan to take up the case in defence of
Aravinda and other accused. The prosecution dragged on for more than
a year. For this long period Chitta Ranjan conducted the defence case
at a great personal sacrifice. This celebrated conspiracy case pushed
Chitta Ranjan into the fore front of the Calcutta Bar. For more than
six months he was engaged in this case, and even for his house-hold
expenses during these months, he had to incur a large debt. The
acquittal of Aravinda at once raised the reputation of Chitta Ranjan
in the eyes of his countrymen. After this he took up the defence of
the famous Dacca Conspiracy case without charging any fees at a great
personal loss and also volunteered to defend the boycott cases of
Bengal earning thereby the lasting gratitude of the whole nation.
Providence also rewarded him amply for his good work and from the very
day that he came back to take up the broken threads of his High Court
practice, he found himself on the high road to both fame and wealth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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