A close associate of Barindrakumar Ghosh, Debabrata Basu(1879-1918), son of Ashutosh Basu of the Jojur village in Hooghly district of Bengal, was born in Calcutta. Nothing is known about his early life and education.
An active member of the Anushilan Samiti, he was variously associated with the publication of the revolutionary mouthpiece Yugantar and regularly wrote in the paper under the pen name of Yogakshyapa. He pioneered the move for opening the Anushilan Samiti’s units outside Bengal, an example of jealousy followed later by Pulinbehari Das of Dhaka. An Anushilan Samiti activist, Debabrata Basu worked for a long in Odisha.
Outwardly a man of grave disposition, he was a unique blend of rare qualities – a political writer, music composer, and an excellent singer – he left a deep imprint on the minds of his revolutionary friends. Arrested in the Alipore Bomb Case, his presence often enlivened the monotonous life of his associates inside the Alipore Central Jail. Thus, Upendranath Bandyopadhyay later recollected the rich content of the revolutionary songs composed by him and sung by him which had a mesmerizing impact on them.
After his release, he joined the Ramkrishna Mission and edited the renowned journals, Udbodhan, and Prabuddha Bharat. He also headed the mission at Almora for a long time.
Source: Nihar Roy, Biplabi: Jader Mane Rakhini, 2021, in Bengali; Upendranath Bandyopadhyay, Nirbasiter Atmakatha, 1921, in Bengali; Shubhendu Majumdar, Agniyuger Abhidhan, 2022, in Bengali.