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{{short description|Bengali revolitionary (1911–1933)}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Anathbandhu Panja
| image         = Freedom fighter Anath Bondhu Panja.jpg
| caption       = 
| birth_date    = {{birth date text|29 October 1911}}
| birth_place   = Jalabindu, [[Midnapore]], Bengal Presidency,  British India
| death_date    = {{death date and age text|2 September 1933|29 October 1911}}
| death_place   = [[Midnapore]], Bengal Presidency, British India
| known         = 
| occupation    = Revolutionary
| organization  = [[Bengal Volunteers]]
| movement      = [[Indian Freedom Movement]]
| known for     = 
| citizenship   = 
| footnotes     = 
}}

'''Anathbandhu Panja''' (29 October 1911 – 2 September 1933) was an Indian revolutionary and member of the [[Bengal Volunteers]] who carried out assassinations against British colonial officials in an attempt to secure Indian independence.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.midnapore.in/freedomfighters/anathbandhu_panja.html|title=Anath Bandhu Panja|access-date=October 28, 2021}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Panja was born in a poor [[Mahishya]] family at Jalabindu Village in [[Sabang (community development block)|Sabang]], [[Paschim Medinipur district|Paschim Medinipur]] in 1911.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=.:: Legacy of Midnapore - Freedom Fighter - Anath Bandhu Panja ::. |url=https://www.midnapore.in/freedomfighters/anathbandhu_panja.html |access-date=2024-11-01 |website=www.midnapore.in}}</ref> Surendra Nath Panja and Kumudini Devi were his parents.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Prohor |title=শহিদ হওয়ার আগেই ইংরেজ জেলাশাসককে হত্যা, রক্তাক্ত মেদিনীপুরের ফুটবল মাঠ - Prohor |url=https://www.prohor.in/freedom-fighter-anath-bandhu-panja |access-date=2024-12-14 |website=শহিদ হওয়ার আগেই ইংরেজ জেলাশাসককে হত্যা, রক্তাক্ত মেদিনীপুরের ফুটবল মাঠ - Prohor |language=en}}</ref> He lost his father at the age of three and lived with his mother and elder brother.<ref>[http://www.indiaculture.nic.in/sites/default/files/pdf/Martyrs_Vol_4_06_03_2019 Unknown]{{Dead link | date=April 2025 | fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2021-10-29 |title=খেলার ছলে অত্যাচারি ম্যাজিস্ট্রেটকে মেরে মৃত্যুবরণ করেছিলেন এই বিপ্লবী |url=https://kolkata24x7.in/offbeat-news/anathbandhu-panja-the-hero-of-killing-magistrate-burge/ |access-date=2024-11-01 |website=Kolkata24x7 {{!}} Latest Bengali News, News in Bangla, বাংলা নিউজ |language=bn}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Bharat |first=E. T. V. |date=2020-08-21 |title=গুলি করে পালিয়ে যাননি, অনাথবন্ধু চড়ে বসেছিলেন ইংরেজ অফিসারের বুকে |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/bengali/west-bengal/state/paschim-medinipur/freedom-fighter-anath-bandhu-panja/wb20200821193217633 |access-date=2024-11-01 |website=ETV Bharat News |language=bn}}</ref> He completed his early education from Bhuban Pal's Village Pathsala and then he went with his mother to Midnapore Town and got admitted in Sujaganj Primary School.<ref name=":5"/> Subsequently, he was admitted to [[Midnapore Town School]] but he could not continue his studies due to his economic hardahips.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5" /> He joined [[Bengal Volunteers]], a revolutionary organisation of [[British India]] and under the direction of the organisation he got admitted at the [[Midnapore Collegiate School]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.midnapore.in/bv.html|title=Bengal Volunteers of Midnapore|access-date=October 28, 2021}}</ref> At that time he was a member of ballavpur Jimnasiyam club.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Human Rights and Peace: Ideas, Laws, Institutions and Movements|last=Ujjwal Kumar Singh|date= 2009|publisher=SAGE Publishing India |isbn=9789352801626}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Rammanohar Lohia|volume=9|year=1990|publisher=Deep & Deep Publications |isbn=9788171002511}}</ref> He accompanied [[Nirmal Jibon Ghosh]], [[Brajakishore Chakraborty]], [[Mrigendra Dutta]] and [[Ramkrishna Roy]] to [[Calcutta]] to learn how to fire a pistol and subsequently returned to [[Midnapore]] to join the [[Indian independence movement]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />

== Revolutionary activities ==
[[File:Statue of Bengali revolutionary Anath Bondhu Panja 01.jpg|thumb|Statue of Panja]]
After the assassination of two previous [[District Magistrate]]s James Peddy and Robert Douglas, no British officer was ready to take charge of [[Midnapore district]]. Bernard E. J. Burge,<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Sansad Bangali Charitavidhan (Bengali)|volume=I|first1=Subodhchandra |last1=Sengupta |first2=Anjali |last2=Basu|publisher=Sahitya Sansad|year=2002|isbn=81-85626-65-0|location=Kolkata|pages=297}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://biplabisabyasachi.com/paschim-medinipur/that-was-the-historic-day-of-the-assassination-of-the-oppressive-british-district-magistrate-burge/|title=Historic Day |access-date=February 24, 2018}}</ref> a ruthless District Magistrate and former soldier, was posted to Midnapore. Members of the Bengal Volunteers, [[Ramkrishna Roy]], [[Brajakishore Chakraborty]], [[Prabhanshu Sekhar Pal]], [[Kamakhya Charan Ghosh]], Sonatan Roy, Nanda Dulal Singh, Sukumar Sen Gupta, Bijoy Krishna Ghose, Purnananda Sanyal, Manindra Nath Choudhury, Saroj Ranjan Das Kanungo, Santi Gopal Sen, Sailesh Chandra Ghose, Anath Bondhu Panja, [[Mrigendra Dutta]] and others decided to [[Assassination|assassinate]] him.<ref name=":0" />

On 2 September 1933 Ghosh, along with Panja and Dutta, shot Burge dead during the half time of a football match when Burge was stepping from a car to take part in the game. Panja was killed instantly by a bodyguard,<ref name=":2" /> the assassins were pursued by a Police Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent playing. Dutta was wounded and also died that day.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chopra |first=P. N. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=urqvDQAAQBAJ&q=Pradyot+Kumar+Bhattacharya+killed+magistrate&pg=PA1845 |title=Who's Who of Indian Martyrs |volume=I |publisher=Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting |isbn=978-81-230-2180-5 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":5" />

A Special Tribunal under the [[Bengal Criminal Law Amendment]], 1925, found the survivors guilty and sentenced them to death.<ref name=abhilek>{{cite web |title=Assassination of Mr B. E. J. Burge, ICS District Magistrate |url=http://www.abhilekh-patal.in/jspui/handle/123456789/2696808 |website=www.abhilekh-patal.in |publisher=Abhilekh Patal |access-date=February 24, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=বেঙ্গল ভলান্টিয়ার. |first= Madhumanti |last=Sengupta  |publisher= Ananda Publishers  |date= January 1, 2016 |isbn=978-9389876772|location= Kolkata |pages=}}</ref><ref name="emperor">{{cite web  |url=https://www.the-laws.com/Encyclopedia/Browse/Case?CaseId=894391367100&CaseId=894391367100/ |website=www.the-laws.com |title=Emperor Vs. Nirmal Jiban Ghose |access-date=February 24, 2021 |date=30 August 1934}}</ref>  Nirmal Jiban Ghosh, Brajakishore Chakraborty and Ram Krishna Roy were all sentenced to death.<ref name=abhilek/><ref name="auto1">{{Cite book|url= http://www.midnapore.in/bv.html|title=Bengal Volunteers of Midnapore|access-date=February 24, 2018}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y74pDwAAQBAJ&q=Bhattacharya+killed+magistrate+Douglas&pg=PA151|title=Gentlemanly Terrorists: Political Violence and the Colonial State in India|last=Durba Ghosh|date=20 July 2017|publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9781107186668|access-date=March 11, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Indian Revolutionaries 1757-1961 (Vol-4): A Comprehensive Study, 1757-1961 |last= Srikrishan 'Sarala'|publisher=Ocean Books|year=1999|isbn=9788187100157 |location=New Delhi|pages=}}</ref>
Bijoy Krishna Ghose, Purnanandu Sanyal, Manindra Nath Choudhury and Saroj Ranjan Das Kanungo were found not guilty of the charges against them.<ref name="abhilek"/>

The rest of the accused: [[Santi Gopal Sen]], Kamakhya Charan Ghosh, Sonatan Roy, Nanda Dulal Singh, Sukumar Sen Gupta, Prabhanshu Sekhar Pal, Sailesh Chandra Ghose were found guilty and were sent to Jail.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wbcorrectionalservices.gov.in/history_heritage03.html|title=Midnapore Central Correctional Home|website=wbcorrectionalservices.gov.in|access-date=February 24, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Chronological Dictionary of India's Independence|last=Kali Charan Ghosh|publisher=Sahitya Sansad|year=2012|isbn=978-81-86806-20-3|location=Kolkata|pages=87}}</ref><ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto"/>

Anath Bondhu Panja was acquitted of murder.<ref name=kanoon>{{Cite web |url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/600128/|title= Emperor vs Nirmal Jiban Ghose And Ors. on 30 August, 1934|access-date=October 28, 2021}}</ref>

== Death ==
Anathbandhu was killed instantly by the body guard of the District Magistrate on 2 September 1933.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Indian Revolutionaries 1757-1961 (Vol-4): A Comprehensive Study, 1757-1961 |last= Srikrishan 'Sarala'|publisher=Ocean Books|year=1999|isbn=9788187100157 |location=New Delhi|pages=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=বেঙ্গল ভলান্টিয়ার |first= Madhumanti |last=Sengupta |publisher= Ananda Publishers |date=January 1, 2016 |isbn=978-9389876772|location= Kolkata |pages=}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
A school near his village is named after him as Harirhat Anath Smriti Girls' High School.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://local.infobel.in/IN101851904-03222249203/harirhat_anath_smriti_girls_high_school-midnapore.html|title=Harirhat Anath Smriti Girls'High School in Midnapore, Government Agencies}}</ref> A statue of Panja was founded near [[Midnapore Collegiate School]].

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Indian Revolutionary Movement}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Panja, Anath Bondhu}}
[[Category:1911 births]]
[[Category:1933 deaths]]
[[Category:Revolutionary movement for Indian independence]]
[[Category:Indian nationalism]]
[[Category:Indian people convicted of murder]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian murderers]]
[[Category:Revolutionaries from West Bengal]]
[[Category:Revolutionaries of Bengal during British Rule]]
[[Category:People from Paschim Medinipur district]]