Bipin Bihari Bose was born in the year 1852, during the peak of the colonial hold on India. Despite this, his own sense of justice had an immense influence on his life, and those around him. This sense of justice and radical reform spurred many contributions to early conceptions of India as a unified nation. His ability to transcend the binary division about the political structure of the nation as Indian political movements gained traction, was key to his imaginings of the nation’s independent future.
Bipin Bihari spent his adult life in Lucknow where he was a known educator, advocate, political advocate, social reformer and poet. As a professional lawyer, he was known for his activism and campaigns for social reform. These ideas led him to join the Indian National Congress, a platform where he could debate with regional leaders, exchange ideas and collaborate to advocate for Indian interests. His background enabled him to become the local organizing secretary when Congress was held in Lucknow. Reflecting on his journey, Bipin Bihari published a book of poetry, called Congress Songs.
His strong sense of social justice encouraged him to campaign in order to end child marriage. He was a significant figure in the abolition of public consumption of opium. Bipin Behari’s work occurred at the grassroots level, where he rescued widows from oppressive conditions and was instrumental in their rehabilitation into society. In 1897, after seeing the destructive effects of famine, he went door-to-door asking for donations to feed the hungry.
A cornerstone of his beliefs was that the future of India lay within the next generations, thereby founding schools such as the Lucknow Hindu Girls School and youth clubs like the Bengali Young Men’s Association.
Bipin Bihari Bose passedaway in the year 1902, but his contributions are everlasting.
Source: Dr Kamal Bose, great grandson of Shri Bipin Bihari Bose