Anath Bondhu Panja

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.

Early life Panja was born in a poor Mahishya family at Jalabindu Village in Sabang, Paschim Medinipur in 1911. Surendra Nath Panja and Kumudini Devi were his parents. He lost his father at the age of three and lived with his mother and elder brother. 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. At that time he was a member of Ballabhpur Gymnasium Club. 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. 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 assassinate him. the assassins were pursued by a Police Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent playing. Dutta was wounded and also died that day. Nirmal Jiban Ghosh, Brajakishore Chakraborty and Ram Krishna Roy were all sentenced to death. Bijoy Krishna Ghose, Purnanandu Sanyal, Manindra Nath Choudhury and Saroj Ranjan Das Kanungo were found not guilty of the charges against them.

Death Anathbandhu was killed instantly by the body guard of the District Magistrate on 2 September 1933.

Legacy A school near his village is named after him as Harirhat Anath Smriti Girls' High School. A statue of Panja was founded near Midnapore Collegiate School. He recently featured on the news, when the Vidyasagar University, in a question paper of history, controversially referred to the members of the Bengal Volunteers, including Anath Bondhu as "terrorists" for their role in the assassinations of the District magistrates of Midnapore district, which resulted in a huge backlash.