Surya Sen (Master Da) :Our Great Forgotten Hero of Indian Freedom Struggle "Mastar Da Surya Sen"

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Surjya Sen ( Bengali  Freedom Fighter March 22, 1894 – January 12, 1934) : was a prominent Bengali freedom fighter, an Indian independence activist and the chief architect of anti-British freedom movement active centered in Chittagong, Bengal (now in Bangladesh). He was born on 22 March 1894 in Chittagong. He led a nationwide non-cooperation movement as a revolutionary. He was hanged on 12 January 1934 by the British rulers following the arrest in February 1933. The Government of India released a commemorative stamp on him in 1977. Bangladesh issued a commemorative stamp on him in 1999.

Master Da Surya Sen

Our Great Forgotten Freedom Fighter Master da Surya Sen

Surya Sen led the revolutionary movement in Chittagong (now in Bangladesh) where his views attracted several follow ers. He wanted to free Chittagong from the hold of the British and to establish an independent government. For the purpose, he set up several organisations, including the revolutionary Chittagong Republican Army.

Surya Sen was involved in the Assam-Bengal Railway dacoity aimed at raising funds for arms and ammunition. He was also suspected of setting up the Dakshineswar factory for producing bombs and was jailed from 1926 to 1928 for revolutionary activities. He decided to organise an armed rebellion to show that it was possible to challenge the might of the British Empire.

Scene From Movie "Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se" Depicting Surya Sen (Avishek ) with his followers(Band of revolutionary youth Ganesh Ghosh and Lokenath Baul etc)

Surya Sen soon gathered around himself a large band of revolutionary youth including Anant Singh, Ganesh Ghosh and Lokenath Baul. They decided to organize a rebellion, on however small scale, to demonstrate that it was possible to challenge the armed might of the British in India. Their action plan was to include occupation of the two main armories in Chittagong and seizing of their arms with which a large band of revolutionaries could be formed into an armed detachment; the destruction of the telephone and telegraph system of the city; and the dislocation of the railway communication system between Chittagong and the rest of Bengal. The action was carefully planned and put into execution at 10 o'clock on the night of 18 April 1930.

Scene From Movie "Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se" depicting the planning  and arm practise of Surya Sen`s Followers in the Jungle  aganist British army

Chittagong armoury raid:
On April 18, 1930, the Republican Army carried out a raid on two government armouries and completely brought to a halt telephone, tele graph and railway services. The Army seized power of Chittagong and declared the establishment of a National Revolutionary Government. Surya Sen then issued a manifes to in the name of Indian Republican Army and called on all Indians to revolt against the British in a similar way.

Scene of Chittagong armoury raid By Mastar da Surya Sen  Very Truthfully Depicted in the Movie(Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker ) named “Khele Hum Jee Jaan Se” where Avishek  Played the role of Great Surya Sen.

The plan was put into action at 10 o'clock on April 18, 1930. The police armoury was captured by a group of revolutionaries led by Ganesh Ghosh, while another group of ten men led by Lokenath Bal took the Auxiliary Forces armoury. However, they could not locate ammunition. Revolutionaries also succeeded in cutting telephone and telegraph wires and disrupting the movement of the trains. Some sixty-five revolutionaries took part in the raid, which was undertaken in the name of the Indian Republican Army, Chittagong Branch. After the raids, the revolutionary groups gathered outside the police armoury where Surjiya Sen took a military salute, hoisted the National Flag and proclaimed a Provisional Revolutionary Government.

It was not possible for the band of revolutionaries to put up a fight in the town against the army which was expected. They, therefore, left Chittagong town before dawn and marched towards the Chittagong hill ranges, looking for a safe place. It was on the Jalalabad Hill that a thousand troops surrounded them on the afternoon of 22 April. After a fierce fight, in which over eighty British troops and twelve revolutionaries died, Surya Sen decided to disperse to the neighbouring village there they formed into small groups and conducted raids on Government personnel and property. Despite several repressive measures and operations by the authorities, the villagers, gave them food and shelter to the revolutionary outlaws and enabled them to survive for three years. Surya Sen was fmally arrested on 16 February 1933, tried and hanged on 12th January 1934.

Place In Modern Bangladesh Where great Surya Sen Was Hanged

A remarkable aspect of this new phase of the Freedom movement in Bengal : was the large scale participation of young women under Surya Sen's leadership, they provided shelters, acted as messangers and custodians of arms and fought guns in hand. Preetilata Waddekar died while conducting a raid, while Kalpana Dutt (now Joshi) was arrested and tried along with Surya Sen and given a life sentence. In December 1931, two school girls Commilla, Shanti Ghosh and Suneeti Chaudhary, shot dead the district magistrates. In December 1932, Beena Das fired point blank at the Governor while receiving her degree at the convocation.

Preetilata Waddekar

Kalpana Dutt