Chitta Ranjan DasArticle Free Pass Chitta Ranjan Das, (born Nov.
5, 1870, Calcutta [now Kolkata], India—died June 16, 1925,
Darjeeling [now Darjiling]), politician and leader of the Swaraj
(Independence) Party in Bengal under British rule. After failing
the competitive entrance examination for the British-dominated
Indian Civil Service, Das entered the legal profession. He
defended many accused of political offenses and took an active
part in nationalistic journalism. Bitterly opposing British rule
in India and rejecting all ideas of political or economic
development of India along Western lines, he idealized the life
of the ancient Indian village and saw a golden age in ancient
Indian history. He supported the noncooperation movement
launched against British rule by Mahatma Gandhi and in 1921 was
imprisoned for six months as a political offender. In 1922 he
became president of the Indian National Congress. Under his
leadership the Congress abandoned its intentions to boycott
colonially sponsored elections fo