32 Facts About Virendranath Chattopadhyaya

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya, known by his pseudonym Chatto, was a prominent Indian revolutionary who worked to overthrow the British Raj in India using armed force.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya created alliances with the Germans during World War I, was part of the Berlin Committee organising Indian students in Europe against the British, and explored actions by the Japanese at the time.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya went to Moscow in 1920 to develop support by the Communists for the Indian movement, including among Asians in Moscow who were working on revolutionary movements.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya lived in Moscow for several years in the 1930s.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya was the brother of prominent political activist and poet Sarojini Naidu.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya was a polyglot and was fluent in the Indian languages Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Urdu, Persian, Hindi, as well as English; later he was to learn French, Italian, German, Dutch, Russian and the Scandinavian languages as well.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya matriculated in the University of Madras and received an undergraduate degree in Arts from the University of Calcutta.

In Kolkata, through his sister Gannu, already known as an advanced Nationalist, Virendranath Chattopadhyaya was introduced to Bejoy Chandra Chatterjee, a barrister and extremist.

For years afterwards, Virendranath Chattopadhyaya maintained contact with all of them.

In 1902, Virendranath Chattopadhyaya joined the University of Oxford, while preparing for the Indian Civil Service.

In 1907, Virendranath Chattopadhyaya was on the editorial board of Shyamji's Indian Sociologist.

Vladimir Lenin attended, but it is not certain if Virendranath Chattopadhyaya met him on this occasion.

In May 1910, seizing the opportunity of tension between the United Kingdom and Japan over the Korean peninsula, Virendranath Chattopadhyaya discussed the possibility of Japanese help to Indian revolutionary efforts.

In 1912 Virendranath Chattopadhyaya married Miss Reynolds, an Irish Catholic girl.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya went to Berlin in April 1914 to further revolutionary activities.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya helped in finding new members for the Berlin Committee.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya ordered Von Papen, his Military Attache, to arrange for steamers, and purchase arms and ammunition, to be delivered on the eastern coast of India.

On 20 November 1914, Chattopadhyaya sent Satyen Sen, V G Pingley and Kartar Singh to Kolkata with a report for Jatindranath Mukherjee or Bagha Jatin.

In 1915, Virendranath Chattopadhyaya went to meet Mahendra Pratap in Switzerland and tell him of the Kaiser's personal invitation to meet.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya was dogged by the British agent, Donald Gullick, and an attempt was made to kill Chattopadhyaya.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya went to Moscow with Agnes Smedley and they became companions, sharing their lives until 1928.

In December 1921 in Berlin, Virendranath Chattopadhyaya founded an Indian News and Information Bureau with his correspondent Rash Behari Bose in Japan.

From 1930 to 1932, Virendranath Chattopadhyaya published 28 articles in Inprecor, the Comintern organ, about an ultra-leftist sectarian turn of the Communist Party of India.

Between 1931 and 1933, while living in Moscow, Virendranath Chattopadhyaya continued to advocate anti-Hitler activities, Asian emancipation from Western powers, the independence of India, and Japanese intervention into the Chinese revolution.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya was at last growing old, his body thin and frail, his hair rapidly turning white.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya was arrested on 15 July 1937 during the Great Purge of Stalin.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya's name appeared on a death list among 184 other persons, which was signed on 31 August 1937 by Stalin, Molotov, Voroshilov, Zhdanov and Kaganovich.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya described some of the less appealing aspects of his character and actions.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya was always hard up, his clothes were very much the worse for wear and often he found it difficult to raise the wherewithal for a meal.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya had been some years senior to me during my educational days in England.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya was at Oxford when I was at Harrow.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya is believed to have inspired Somerset Maugham's character of "Chandralal" in his short story, "Giulia Lazzari;".