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Janaki Ballabh Goswami was born in 1903 in Bhairabpur village under Gangajalghati police station in Bankura district (Purba Bardhaman). Inspired by Gobinda Prasad Singha, a prominent freedom fighter and founder of Amarkanan Ashram, he joined the Swadeshi movement at a young age.

During the Civil Disobedience Movement of 1930, Mahatma Gandhi’s call to protest the salt law sparked widespread agitation in Bankura. On 26 March 1930, the district witnessed its first Satyagraha march led by Suresh Bandyopadhyay. Goswami actively participated in various protests, including hoisting the National Flag on government buildings, picketing liquor and marijuana shops and selling illegal salt from Kanthi. Arrested for picketing, he served six months in prison.

Undeterred, Janaki Ballabh continued mobilizing villagers during the second phase of the Civil Disobedience Movement, leading to another term of arrest and imprisonment. In 1942, during the Quit India Movement, he supported agitators and faced multiple imprisonments, enduring brutal torture by the colonialists.

After independence, Goswami dedicated himself to social service and constructive programs, contributing to nation-building efforts. Janaki Ballabh Goswami passed away in 1978.

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Name mentioned at page number 26 of the book “Bankura Jelar Swadhinata Sangramider Sankhipta Parichiti" published by Gandhi Vichar Parishad, Bankura District.

Source: Soumen Pal, Contributor for CCRT.