Kavitha Rao's claim about indian revolutionary Virendranath Chattopadhyay (known as Chatto) being executed by Joseph stalin is a historical assertion that aligns with some accounts of his fate but remains shrouded in uncertainty.
Chatto, the younger brother of sarojini naidu, was deeply involved in revolutionary activities against british rule and later aligned himself with communist movements in europe and the Soviet Union. He was reportedly caught up in Stalin’s purges in the late 1930s. While it is widely believed that he was executed during Stalin’s Great Purge (likely in 1937), concrete evidence confirming the circumstances of his death remains limited.
Kavitha Rao's book Spies, Lies and Allies appears to revisit such buried histories, exposing lesser-known aspects of indian revolutionaries who operated in international networks. If she claims that even sarojini naidu was unaware of her brother’s fate, it highlights the secrecy and brutality of Stalin’s regime, where many political figures disappeared without trace.
Virendranath Chattopadhyay (Chatto) was one of the many indian revolutionaries who sought support from international movements, particularly in Soviet Russia. However, his tragic fate under Joseph Stalin’s purges raises questions about how foreign revolutionaries were often sacrificed to internal political paranoia.
Chatto’s Execution: A Case of Stalinist Paranoia
Early Revolutionary Activities: Chatto was part of the Berlin Committee and worked with indian nationalists seeking German support against british rule during World war I.
Shift to Communism: Disillusioned with German support, he moved to Soviet Russia, aligning with the Communist international (Comintern).
Caught in Stalin’s Purges: By the late 1930s, stalin turned against many foreign communists, seeing them as spies or threats. Chatto, along with other indian communists, was reportedly executed in 1937, though exact details remain obscure.
Family’s Ignorance: Even his sister, sarojini naidu, allegedly did not know about his fate, underscoring the secrecy of Stalinist purges.
Comparison with the Present Scenario
While the global political landscape has changed, some parallels can be drawn between Stalin’s time and modern geopolitics:
1. State Surveillance and Suppression
Then: Stalin’s USSR brutally eliminated political dissent, even among allies.
Now: Many authoritarian regimes still suppress dissent through extrajudicial means, mass surveillance, and political purges (e.g., China, North Korea, and Russia’s crackdown on opposition).
2. Nationalist and Communist Conflicts
Then: Revolutionaries like Chatto aligned with communism, only to be betrayed by the very ideology they supported.
Now: Many political activists and dissidents (e.g., in China, Russia, Iran) face similar betrayal when the ruling system they once believed in turns against them.
3. The Fate of international Revolutionaries
Then: indians like Chatto and M.N. Roy sought support from the USSR but were often discarded when geopolitics changed.
Now: Many exiled political activists (such as dissidents from Hong Kong, Belarus, or even Kashmiri separatists in Pakistan) find that host nations exploit them for propaganda but do not guarantee their safety.
4. The Information Black Hole
Then: Even a prominent leader like sarojini naidu was unaware of her brother’s execution.
Now: Governments still control narratives; political prisoners and dissidents often "disappear" (e.g., the case of Jamal Khashoggi, Chinese whistleblowers on COVID-19).
History shows that revolutionaries often become pawns in the larger game of global politics. Chatto’s fate under stalin mirrors how political regimes use and discard allies when they are no longer useful. Even today, many activists face similar betrayals, whether by their own governments or the foreign powers they seek support from.
click and follow Indiaherald WhatsApp channel