Durgadas Sett, born on September 20, 1895, in Chandannagar Palpara, Calcutta, hailed from a well-off family. His father, Nrityagopal Seth, was a respected figure in Chandannagar. Durgadas was a sibling to the renowned Harihar Sett of Chandannagar. His early education took place in Chandannagar.
During the tumultuous period of the Bengal Partition in 1905, the youth of Chandannagar actively engaged in the nationwide movement, with Durgadas at the forefront. They initiated a boycott of imported goods, promoted the use of indigenous products, and picketed foreign cloth shops. Durgadas immersed himself in patriotic magazines like 'Sandhya,' 'Yugantar,' 'Vandemataram,' and 'Dharma' for intellectual growth and character development. To bolster his physical fitness, he dedicated himself to daily exercises and stick games.Durgadas established a small shop called 'Industrial Cooperative' in Laxmiganj market, where he sold indigenous handicrafts, handloom cloth, khadi, indigenous medicines, and cosmetics. The proceeds from this establishment were directed toward the education of underprivileged students. He collaborated with youths like Kalicharan Ghosh, Tinkari Mukhopadhyay, Surendranath Mukhopadhyay, Santosh Nandi, Anand Pal, and others in this noble endeavour.
Durgadas also launched a weekly newspaper named 'Swadeshi Bazar,' where he published spiritual, religious, and revolutionary articles, as well as the life and history of freedom fighters from various countries. During this period, the British government falsely charged Durgadas with sedition, leading to his imprisonment in Alipore Central Jail. While incarcerated, he came into contact with notable political leaders such as Jatindramohan Sengupta and Subhash Chandra Bose.
Durgadas made substantial donations, including 3000 rupees for industrial cooperatives and ten thousand rupees to spread Aurobindo's message. He also contributed around one lakh rupees from the distribution of his ancestral property to the Pondicherry Ashram.Durgadas Sett passed away on July 20, 1958, at the age of 63.
Inscription at House of Harihar Sett, Durgadas Sett’s name mentioned in it
Source: Bhaskar Mondal, Contributor for CCRT