Chitta Ranjan Das

Born on 5 November 1870, Chitta Ranjan Das became one of the best-known nationalist leaders in British India. He trained as a lawyer and built a strong reputation at the Calcutta High Court, later gaining particular notice for defending Aurobindo Ghose in the Alipore Bomb Case. He was widely admired not only for his legal skill, but also for the force and warmth of his public life.

Das went on to play a major role in the Indian National Congress and became especially influential in Bengal. He was popularly known as Deshbandhu, meaning Friend of the Country, and is remembered as a founder of the Swaraj Party, created with Motilal Nehru to push for self-government from within the colonial legislative system. He also served as a mentor to Subhas Chandra Bose, linking him to the next generation of India’s independence movement.

Alongside politics, he wrote poetry and prose in Bengali, which helps explain why his legacy feels larger than public office alone. He died on 16 June 1925, but he has remained an important figure in Indian history because he combined courtroom brilliance, political courage, and a gift for inspiring others.