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Man who spied on British police for freedom fighters dies at 107 in Bengal
Jana had a code name, ‘Nanu.’ He was also a practising homoeopath and known for his skills in delivering babies, the family said. Jana used the tailoring shop at Sasati as a cover for spying
Centenarian Bhim Chandra Jana, who used to spy on the police in the British Raj under the garb of running a tailoring shop during the freedom movement, died at his ancestral home at Sasati village in Howrah district on Friday. He was 107 and left behind 12 children, 35 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. His wife had died about eight years ago in 2012.
“My grandfather used to spy on the police for freedom fighters during the Swadeshi movement and had been to jail at least thrice between 1930 and 1931. He was only 17 when he went to jail for the first time,” said Arindam Jana, 30, one of the grandsons.
Family members said Jana had a code name, ‘Nanu.’ He was also a practising homoeopath and known for his skills in delivering babies, the family said. Jana used the tailoring shop at Sasati as a cover for spying.
“Later in life, my father met Chittaranjan Das and his wife Basanti Devi, both of who inspired him to join the Swadeshi Movement,” said Ashok Jana, one of the sons of the freedom fighter.
In 1972, Jana was awarded the Tamra Patra (a copper plaque given to freedom fighters by the Centre) when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India. He also used to get freedom fighter’s pension from the government.
Though Jana never met Mahatma Gandhi, he was an avowed Gandhian and led a disciplined life.
“He was so fit, that till last year he used to go to the local pond all by himself to take bath. He didn’t even use a walking stick. Over the last one year, his health had been deteriorating,” said Arindam, who runs a ration shop and is associated with an NGO.
