Bhupati Charan Patra was born on 1 November 1918, in Jasora village under the jurisdiction of the Panskura police station in the Tamluk subdivision. His father, Mahendranath Patra, worked as a small sharecropper, while his mother, Uttara Patra, was a homemaker. After completing his education at the village school, he enrolled in Panskura Bradly Burt High School. It was during his time at this school that he became drawn to the Swadeshi movement. Influenced by the struggles of local figures like Parameswar Jana against British rule, he was initiated into the Swadesh Mantra by revolutionaries.
From his teenage years, Patra actively participated in the Swadeshi movement, forsaking his studies. He worked closely with freedom fighters such as Shyamdas Bhattacharya, Kanailal Jana, and Parameswar Jana. His involvement in the Salt Satyagraha of 1930 earned him recognition as a freedom fighter in the Panskura area. Patra also took part in the 1932 tax boycott movement, which brought him to the attention of British authorities. To evade arrest, he concealed himself in Calcutta for a significant period.
During the Quit India Movement of 1942, Patra was apprehended by British police while rallying support from village to village and organizing a clandestine camp for freedom fighters. He was subsequently imprisoned in Medinipur Jail and later transferred to Alipore Jail on charges of sedition, anti-government activities, and chanting Bande Mataram.
Following independence, Patra dedicated himself to farming his family's land and establishing a new business. The Government of India introduced a pension scheme to honour freedom fighters who had participated in the independence movement, and Patra received this honorary pension for the remainder of his life.
Bhupati Charan Patra passed away on 29 May 2004.
Pension papers of Bhupati Charan Patra’s wife, issued by the Govt. of West Bengal in 1980.
Pension papers of Bhupati Charan Patra’s wife, issued by the Govt. of West Bengal in 1980.
Pension papers of Bhupati Charan Patra’s wife, issued by the Govt. of West Bengal in 1980.
Source: Sujatak Kumar, Contributor for CCRT.