Virendranath was a prominent Hindu Indian revolutionary who worked to overthrow the British Raj in India by using the force of arms as a tool. He created alliances with the Germans during World War I, was part of the Berlin Committee organizing Indian students in Europe against the British, and explored actions by the Japanese at the time.
Background
Virendranath Chattopadhyaya was born in India in 1880. His childhood nickname was Binnie or Biren. Virendranath was the eldest son of Dr. Aghorenath Chattopadhyaya, who was an ex-principal and professor of science at the Nizam College. Viren received a secular and liberal education. He matriculated in the University of Madras and received an undergraduate degree in Arts from the University of Calcutta. In Kolkata (Calcutta), through his sister Gannu (Mrinalini), already known as an advanced Nationalist, Viren was introduced to Bejoy Chandra Chatterjee, a barrister and extremist.
In 1920 Chattopadhyaya met the radical American journalist, Agnes Smedley, and together they set up Berlin's first birth-control clinic.
Career
In 1902, Viren joined the University of Oxford, while preparing for the Indian Civil Service. Later, he became a law student of the Middle Temple. While frequenting Shyamji Krishnavarma’s India House at 65 Cromwell Avenue in London, Viren became closely acquainted with V.D. Savarkar (since 1906). In 1907, Viren was on the editorial board of Shyamji’s Indian Sociologist. In May 1910, seizing the opportunity of tension between England and Japan over the Korean peninsula, Viren discussed the possibility of Japanese help to Indian revolutionary efforts. On June 9, 1910, along with D.S. Madhavrao, he followed V.V.S. Aiyar to Paris, to avoid a warrant issued for his arrest. Upon reaching France, he joined the French Section of the Workers' International. In Germany to avoid suspicion, he enrolled in a university as a student. As a student in comparative linguistics at the University of Saxe-Anhalt in April 1914, Viren met Dr. Abinash Bhattacharya alias Bhatta and some other nationalist Indian students.
Politics
Indo-German Conspiracy, Anti-imperialism.