Surya Sen and Revolutionary Nationalism

Revolutionary movement in Bengal entered a new phase during the late 1920s following the suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement and the death of Chittaranjan Das in 1925. Disillusioned with mainstream non-violent political methods, radical nationalist youth in Bengal sought active, armed resistance against British colonial authority. Unlike early twentieth-century revolutionary groups that relied primarily on individual political assassinations, the late 1920s movement focused on planned military uprisings. Surpassing traditional secret society methods, these revolutionaries organized underground guerrilla networks aimed at crippling local colonial administrations.

Profile of Surya Sen (Master Da)

Surya Sen was born on March 22, 1894, in Noapara, Chittagong (present-day Bangladesh). He worked as a mathematics teacher at the National High School in Chittagong, earning him the affectionate title “Master Da.”

Key Political Leadership Roles

• Congress Leadership: He served as the President of the Chittagong District Congress Committee, using his legal political position to recruit dedicated cadre for underground revolutionary networks.
• Anushilan and Jugantar Links: He associated with the Jugantar group in his early years, developing tactical expertise in clandestine organization, intelligence gathering, and arms procurement.
• Formation of IRA (Chittagong Branch): Inspired by the Irish Republican Army and the 1916 Easter Rising, he established the Indian Republican Army (Chittagong Branch) to lead an armed insurrection against the British Crown.

Tactical Planning of the Chittagong Armoury Raid

Surya Sen designed a coordinated assault to seize control of the Chittagong district on April 18, 1930, coinciding with Good Friday, when colonial administrative vigilance was minimal.

Core Revolutionaries and Operational Roles

Execution of the Raid and Battle of Jalalabad Hill

On April 18, 1930, sixty-five revolutionaries organized into six tactical units launched simultaneous attacks across Chittagong.

Sequence of Revolutionary Actions

• Seizure of Armouries: The units successfully captured the District Police Armoury and the Auxiliary Force Armoury, securing rifles, carbines, and Lewis guns.
• Network Sabotage: Revolutionaries severed the central telephone switchboard, cut telegraph lines, and derailed a train at Dhoom, isolating Chittagong from the rest of the Bengal Presidency.
• Declaration of Independence: Outside the Police Armoury, Surya Sen hoisted the Indian National Flag, received a military salute from the Indian Republican Army cadre, and proclaimed a Provisional Revolutionary Government.
• Ammunition Shortage: Although revolutionaries seized firearms, they failed to secure matching ammunition, as British forces stored cartridges in a separate locked facility.

The Battle of Jalalabad Hill (April 22, 1930)

Retreating from urban Chittagong, the revolutionary force took defensive positions in the nearby Jalalabad Hills. On April 22, 1930, British troops surrounded the hill. In the ensuing confrontation between rifle-equipped revolutionaries and machine-gun-fitted colonial units, twelve revolutionaries died in action, including Harigopal Bal (Tegra), Tripura Sen, and Prabhas Baidya. Over eighty colonial soldiers were killed before Surya Sen ordered his remaining troops to disperse into rural villages to conduct guerrilla warfare.

Female Revolutionaries in the Chittagong Movement

The Chittagong uprising marked a major milestone in Indian nationalist history due to the direct participation of women in armed combat roles.

Notable Female Operatives

• Pritilata Wadedar: A graduate of Bethune College and headmistress of Nandankanan School, she led an attack on the Pahartali European Club on September 24, 1932. To avoid capture after being wounded, she swallowed potassium cyanide, becoming the first female martyr of the Chittagong group.
• Kalpana Datta: Specialist in manufacturing guncotton explosives and transporting arms. She was arrested in May 1933 and sentenced to transportation for life.
• Santi Ghose and Suniti Choudhury: Inspired by the Chittagong action, these two high school students shot dead Charles Stevens, District Magistrate of Comilla, in December 1931.
• Bina Das: Fired upon Bengal Governor Stanley Jackson during her convocation ceremony at Calcutta University in February 1932.

Capture, Trial, and Execution of Surya Sen

Following years of underground guerrilla resistance supported by local peasantry, British forces located Surya Sen at Gairala village.

Final Events and Trial

• Betrayal and Arrest: In February 1933, police arrested Surya Sen and Tarakeswar Dastidar following information provided by an informer, Netra Sen.
• Trial by Special Tribunal: A Special Tribunal tried Surya Sen, Tarakeswar Dastidar, and Kalpana Datta under charges of waging war against the King-Emperor.
• Torture and Execution: Prior to his execution on January 12, 1934, inside Chittagong Jail, British prison guards subjected Surya Sen to severe physical torture, breaking his teeth and limbs. British authorities dumped his body into the Bay of Bengal to prevent public demonstrations.

Fact Summary for Revision

Anand Gupta, Subodh Roy, and Kalipada Chakravarthy were among the youngest participants in the Chittagong Raid, receiving life sentences in the Andaman Cellular Jail while still in their early teens. Before his execution, Surya Sen wrote his final message to his comrades: “April 18, 1930, is the day of the Eastern Rebellion… Never forget this day. Preserve your enthusiasm. Long live Revolution.” To avenge the betrayal of revolutionaries involved in the Lahore and Chittagong trials, revolutionary Baikuntha Shukla assassinated prosecution witness Phanindra Nath Ghosh in Bihar in 1932, leading to Shukla’s execution in 1934. The sign board outside the Pahartali European Club targeted by Pritilata Wadedar explicitly read “Dogs and Indians Not Allowed,” symbolizing the racial discrimination enforced by colonial authorities. In 1930, the British colonial administration enacted the Bengal Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance to grant extraordinary powers of arrest, detention, and special tribunal trials to suppress revolutionary networks in Bengal.