Birendranath Chatterjee

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. 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. The former was well-known to the influential members as belonging to the Kaiser’s immediate circle. Early in September 1914, they formed a “German Friends of India” Association, and were received by the brother of Wilhelm II, wherein they signed a treaty in favour of German help in order to oust the British from India.