3. The Man
The Revolutionary Philosopher of Freedom
Perhaps the
assessment of Prof. G.D.Parikh gave us the true picture of M.N.Roy : “He was
unique in the universality of his experience. A dozen different countries
spread over three major continents provide the background of his chequered
career. He occupied leading positions in the great movements of Nationalism,
Communism, and Humanism, continuing to grow throughout, in his understanding
aided and enriched by his rare intellectual gifts and vast experience. While
holding positions of authority and influence and rubbing shoulders with some of
the greatest figures of contemporary history, he did not hesitate in choosing
the path of wilderness whenever his convictions, in the context of the
situations he faced, seemed to demand the choice. He combined firmness of
commitment to the basic value of freedom and truth with a remarkable open-mindedness,
capable of absorbing new ideas and learning from fresh experience. Indeed, his
life was a great quest, a steady and purposeful march; the movement had its
moments of slowing down or setbacks, but it knew no failures or defeats. It had
no room whatever for frustration or bitterness of any kind. That his life, no
less than his ideas, is his bequest for future generations is the real measure
of his greatness.”Prof. Parikh was not eulogizing Roy when he wrote : “There
was something of the universal man in him, whose company made even the most
mediocre of his comrades feel that life, with all its ugly patches, was
exciting and beautiful and that they, too, had an important place in its ever
renewing procession. Few leaders have been able to release men’s creativity as
Roy could do without resorting to shamanism of any kind.”
It is impossible
to sketch all events in the life of M.N.Roy. Below is an attempt made to note
the most important phases and happenings as contained in Prof. Parikh's book:
M.N.Roy (Narendranath
Bhattacharya)
–
Important
Events
1887,
March 21 Birth at Urbalia, 24 Parganas, Bengal
Father -
Dinabandhu Bhattacharya, Head Pandit of Local
School
Mother -
Basantha Kumari of Kodalia, 24 Parganas
1888
- 1908 Jnan
Vikasini School of Arbalia,
Harinabhi
Anglo-Sanskrit School of Kodalia,
Passed Entrance Examination of Bengal NationalCollege and studied at Bengal Technical Institute.
Passed Entrance Examination of Bengal NationalCollege and studied at Bengal Technical Institute.
1905 Organised free social
service among rural poor
Joined Underground movement (leaders: Aurobindo and Barin Ghosh)
Organised close-knit group at Changripota
1907 First Political
dacoity at Changripota Railway Station.
1908 Arrest and Release
1909 Dacoity together with
Hari Kumar Chakravarthy
1910
– 11 Howrah- Sibpur Conspiracy
Case – arrested and discharged
1911
– 13 Reorganised
revolutionary movement under Jatin Mukherji
1914 Theft of 50 Mauser
Pistols and 46 000 rounds of ammunition
1915 Garden Reach Robbery
Left for Batevia as Charles A. Martin to negotiate with Germans
for supply of arms
Left India again in search of arms –
travelled through China, Japan and Far East on way to Germany
1916 Reached San Fransisco
Met Evelyn
Trent
Moved to New York, Met Lala Lajpat Rai,
adopted the name of
“Manavendra Nath Roy”.
“Manavendra Nath Roy”.
1917 – 1918 Arrested by American Police –
Released on bail – Escaped to Mexico with Evelyn(now married to Roy) with a
letter of introduction of President of Stanford University Mr. David Starr
Jordan to General Salvador Alvarado, Governor of Yucatan in Mexico
Contacted
German Embassy in Mexico, got funds to
buy arms in China – sent money to Rash
Behari Bose in Japan and to Indian Revolutionaries in U.S.A.
Was
introduced to President Carranza and soon became his friend
Published in
Spanish: ‘The way to Durable World Peace’, Open letter to Woodrow Wilson ,
‘Voice of India’.
Published:
‘India – Her Past, Present and Future’ (First major work)
Organised a
conference of Socialist Party of Mexico – was elected its General Scretary.
1919 Founding of El
Partido Communista de Mexico – Elected as delegate to Second Congress of the
communist Inter-national – Met Michael Barodin in Mexico .
Left for
Europe with Evelyn – Carried Mexican diplomatic passports [as Segnor and
Segnora Robert Alleny Villa Garcia]
1920 In Berlin- Met
several communist leaders of different countries of Europe
May – October
Reached
Moscow (May), meeting with Lenin
Second
congress of Communist international
Membership
of Mali Bureau of C.I., Mission to Tashkent
Establishment
of India House and Military School.
Formation of
Communist Party of India in Tahkent
1921
April Establishment of
University of toilers of the East.
May Closure
of Military School
June – July Third Congress of Comm.Int.
Sept. Manifesto to Ahmedabad session of Indian National
Congress
Dec. Publication
of ‘India in Transition’, Russian
Edition ( Eng. Edition
middle of 1922.)
1922
April Shifting of Head
Quarters to Berlin.
May Publication
of “Vanguard”
Peshawar Communist
Conspiracy Cases; live upto 1927.
Nov. Fourth
Congress of C.I. Elected to Executive Committee of C.I.
Dec. Manifesto
to Gaya Session of Congress.
1924 June –
July Fifth Congress of C.I.
Election to C.I. bodies, Kanpur Communist Conspiracy Case.
1927 Jan.
- Aug. Mission
to China.
Aug. Returned from China to Moscow.
Oct. In
Berlin to resume activities relating to India
1928 Feb. In Moscow
to attend 7th plena. m
of ECCI.
April Flight from Moscow.
1929 march Meerut Communist Conspiracy Case.
Dec. Expulsion from C.I.
1930 Dec. Unlawful return to India.
1931 March Attended Karachi Session of
Congress
1931 July Arrested in Bombay after
seven months of Under ground activity.
Aug. – Dec. Trial
in Kanpur.
1933 Jan. Sentence of transportation
for twelve years. Later reduced in appeal to six years’ rigorous imprisonment.
1936 Nov. Release from Dehra Dun Jail.
Dec. Attended Faizpur Session of the Congress.
1937 April Publication of “Independent India.”
1939 March Attended INC Session in Tripuri.
Formation
of League of Radical Congressmen.
1940 March Contested election to INC
presidentship.
May First
study Camp in Dehra Dun.
Oct. Resigned from INC on the issue
of the World War II.
Dec. Formation of Radical Democratic
Party.
Formation of
National Democratic Union.
1941 Nov. Establishment of Indian
Federation of Labour.
1942 Dec. Second Conference of RDP.
1944 April Publication of Peoples’ Plan.
Dec. Third Conference of RDP.
1945 Publication of Draft
Constitution .
1946 Aug. Establishment of Indian
Renaissance Institute at Dehra Dun.
Dec. Fourth RDP Conference and adoption of Twenty-Two
Thesis.
1947 May Study Camp in Dehra Dun.
1948 Dec. Dissolution of RDP at the
fifth conference of the Party.
1952 June Accident at Mussoorie leading
to prolonged illness.
1954 Jan. Death in Dehra Dun
*****************************
