Bipin Chandra Pal, of the Lal-Bal-Pal trio (Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Pal), was born on this day in 1858.
The Lal-Bal-Pal tag gained currency because the three embodied and articulated an assertive, radical nationalism that had evolved in response to the Partition of Bengal in 1905.
They also advocated an absolute boycott of foreign goods, which were to be replaced by India-made products.
At the 1887 Congress session in Madras, Pal made a forceful speech asking for the repeal of the discriminatory Arms Act. He did not believe in gentle protests and was critical of Gandhi. He believed in Purna Swaraj and advocated Swadesi as a strategy to generate employment and eliminate poverty.
Pal was opposed to the caste system and advocated widow remarriage, a practice that took a long time to be accepted. He expressed his political views through his journalist work in Bengal Public Opinion, The Tribune and New India.
