The Split in Bengal’s Congress Leadership
During the third decade of the twentieth century, Bengal’s Congress leadership divided into two factions—one led by Subhas Chandra Bose and the other by J.M. Sengupta. The revolutionary group ‘Jugantar’ aligned itself with Subhas Chandra Bose, while the ‘Anushilan’ group sided with J.M. Sengupta. Between 1923 and 1924, there was a brief surge in revolutionary activities in Bengal, which reached its peak in January 1924 when Gopinath Saha shot and killed an Englishman named Day, though his actual target was Bengal’s notorious Commissioner Charles Tegart.
Under the Bengal Ordinance of October 1924, all suspects were arrested, including several Congress members like Subhas Chandra Bose. After Gopinath Saha’s execution, revolutionary activities in Bengal temporarily subsided. The government believed it had successfully suppressed the revolutionary movement, and consequently, all detained nationalists were released in 1928. The Criminal Law Amendment Act and the 1925 Ordinance were not extended beyond 1930. However, the economic depression of 1928-29 and rising unemployment created growing unrest among educated Bengali youth. Inspired by the Kakori and Lahore conspiracy cases and Jatindas’s martyrdom, revolutionary activities in Bengal began to resurface. New revolutionaries formed their own groups to carry out revolutionary activities while maintaining good relations with older groups like ‘Anushilan’ and ‘Jugantar,’ from whom they continued to receive guidance.
Surya Sen and the Chittagong Rebellion Group
In 1929, numerous student organizations and secret societies were established. Among the reorganized or newly formed revolutionary groups, the most active was Master Surya Sen’s group of revolutionaries in Chittagong, East Bengal. Master Surya Sen was a teacher at Chittagong’s National School, and people affectionately called him ‘Master Da.’ While still a student, Surya Sen had joined the ‘Anushilan Samiti,’ inspired by one of his patriotic teachers. In 1918, Surya Sen founded the ‘Jugantar Party’ to organize youth at the local level. He played an active role in the Non-Cooperation Movement. When the imperialist government was brutally suppressing revolutionaries, Master Surya Sen boldly robbed the Assam-Bengal Railway treasury in Chittagong in broad daylight in December 1923.
Imprisonment and Continued Activism
Surya Sen was sentenced to two years (1926 to 1928) for his involvement in revolutionary activities. Even after his release from prison, Surya Sen remained connected with the Indian National Congress. In 1929, he served as secretary of the Chittagong District Congress Committee, with five of his associates as members. Despite being associated with a non-violent organization like Congress, Master Surya Sen managed to gain the support of many revolutionaries.
Surya Sen’s supporters included Ananta Singh, Ambika Chakravarty, Ganesh Ghosh, Loknath Baul, as well as young women like Kalpana Dutt and Pritilata Waddedar, and young men like Anand Gupta and Tegerawal. The militant revolutionaries of Surya Sen’s group planned a small-scale rebellion to demonstrate to the people that ‘armed revolt could overthrow British imperialism.’ Surya Sen’s proposed action involved four groups of 50 revolutionaries dressed in British Indian Army uniforms who would raid government armories in Chittagong and Barisal, destroy the telephone exchange and telegraph office, and disrupt rail communication between Chittagong and the rest of Bengal.
The Chittagong Armoury Raid (1930)
Under Surya Sen’s direction, at ten o’clock on the night of April 18, 1930, a meticulously planned operation was executed. Six revolutionaries led by Ganesh Ghosh took control of the Chittagong police armory, while ten young revolutionaries led by Loknath Baul seized the military armory—an operation known as the ‘Chittagong Armoury Raid.’ While the revolutionaries captured the armories and obtained weapons, they failed to secure ammunition, which was a major setback to their plan. However, they succeeded in disrupting telephone and telegraph communications and blocking railway lines. The Chittagong Armoury Raid was carried out in the name of the Indian Republican Army, Chittagong Branch, with 65 revolutionaries participating.
Formation of a Revolutionary Government
All revolutionaries from the Chittagong Armoury Raid gathered outside the police armory, where Master Surya Sen formally received a military salute from his Indian Republican Army. Amid shouts of ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Inquilab Zindabad,’ Surya Sen hoisted the tricolor flag and declared the formation of a provisional revolutionary government.
By evening, the revolutionaries from the Chittagong Armoury Raid left Chittagong city and fled toward the Chittagong hills in search of a safe haven. On the afternoon of April 22, 57 revolutionaries in the Jalalabad hills were surrounded by several thousand British soldiers. In the clash between the revolutionaries and the British army, approximately 64 British soldiers and 12 revolutionaries were killed or captured. Surya Sen and some other revolutionaries managed to escape to continue guerrilla warfare.
Government’s Repressive Measures
Alarmed by the Chittagong incident, the British government resorted to brutal suppression and attempted to crush this revolutionary movement by implementing numerous repressive laws. In Chittagong, police burned several villages to ashes and collected fines from many villagers. In 1933, Jawaharlal Nehru was arrested on charges of sedition and sentenced to two years in prison. Nehru was accused of condemning imperialism and police repression and praising the courage and bravery of revolutionary youth.
Significance of the Chittagong Armoury Raid
The ‘Chittagong Armoury Raid’ stands unparalleled in India’s revolutionary movements. According to an official publication, the Chittagong Armoury Raid incident boosted the enthusiasm of revolutionary-minded youth, and they joined revolutionary groups in large numbers. Revolutionary activities gained momentum in 1930 and continued until 1932, mainly limited to assassinations and robberies. During this period, three British magistrates were killed in Midnapore district; two assassination attempts were made on governors; and two inspectors general of police were killed. Between 1930 and 1932, 22 British officers and 20 non-official people were murdered.
Surya Sen’s Execution, January 12, 1934
Surya Sen was captured on February 16, 1933, due to the betrayal of his associate Netrasena, and was hanged on January 12, 1934. Surya Sen’s martyrdom brought to a close a long and glorious chapter of revolutionary nationalism in Bengal.
Key Features of Bengal’s Revolutionary Movement
One major characteristic of Bengal’s new revolutionary movement was the large-scale participation of young women. Under Surya Sen’s leadership, many militant women worked to shelter revolutionaries, deliver messages, and protect weapons. Pritilata Waddedar raided the Railway Institute at Pahartali (Chittagong) and was killed during the operation, while Kalpana Dutt (Joshi) was arrested along with Surya Sen and sentenced to life imprisonment. In December 1931, two schoolgirls from Comilla—Shanti Ghosh and Suniti Chaudhuri—shot and killed a district magistrate. In February 1932, Bina Das fired at the governor at close range during a convocation ceremony while receiving her degree.
The Chittagong rebellion was far more impactful than the earlier nationalist revolutionaries and even Bhagat Singh and his associates. The Chittagong rebellion revolutionaries collectively placed greater emphasis on organized attacks against important organs of colonial power. The aim of the Chittagong rebellion revolutionaries was to set an example before the youth and demoralize the government bureaucracy.
During the 1920s and 1930s, the Hindu orthodoxy of many Bengal revolutionaries also began to diminish. The Indian Republican Army of Chittagong included many Muslims such as Sattar, Fakir Ahmed Mian, Mir Ahmed, and Tunu Mian. On July 22, 1933, an attempt was made by a student to assassinate Bombay’s acting governor Hoston at Ferguson College, Poona. Similar revolutionary incidents were reported from other cities in India. On March 13, 1940, Udham Singh assassinated ‘O’Dwyer,’ the former governor of Punjab, in London, avenging the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Legacy and Historical Significance
The failure of militant revolutionaries was inevitable because their politics was not the politics of mass movements, and they failed to mobilize the public or involve them in political struggle. Nevertheless, the contribution of these militant youth to India’s independence movement remains invaluable and unforgettable. These young militants spread nationalist consciousness throughout the country, and the Gandhian slogan ‘Long Live the Revolution’ (Inquilab Zindabad) was first raised by these very people.
The revolutionary activities in Bengal, particularly the Chittagong Armoury Raid, demonstrated that ordinary citizens were willing to make extraordinary sacrifices for freedom. While their military objectives may not have succeeded, their courage inspired generations of Indians and kept the flame of resistance burning during a critical period in India’s struggle for independence. Today, figures like Surya Sen, Kalpana Dutt, and Pritilata Waddedar are remembered as heroes who chose action over acceptance, sacrifice over submission, and freedom over fear.
