CHITTAGONG !!!

‘Sanghatan! Yeh sanghatan gaya toh sab chala jayega. Ish sangathan ko tumhe paalna hain poshna hain, jaise tum apne fasal ko paalte ho poshte ho. Aur jab yeh fasal pak kar taiyar honge, toh yakeen maan na, ish fasal ki anaaz se sona ugega.’ After hearing about the real incidents from Subodh Roy, let us go back to the year of 1929 at Chittagong, which was a part of East Bengal Province under British India, i.e. before independence of India. At present, Chittagong is under Bangladesh. The death of Jatin Das in 1929 fuelled more agitation against the British Empire. Jhunku and Aparna were good friends. Jhunku’s father was a barrister and had a good relationship with the then Magistrate of Chittagong. Charles Johnson was a very cruel British Policeman. Johnson arrested Ganesh Ghosh, Anant Singh, Ambika Chakraborty, Loknath Bal, Nirmal Sen  of Indian Republican Army (IRA) including the leader, Mr. Surya Sen alias Masterda. ‘What is your plan?’ Masterda lost two fingers of his right hand, but why and how? Mr. Wilkinson, the then Magistrate of Chittagong ordered Johnson to release those rebels and keep strict vigilance on them to get more details about their plans. ‘You are trained in surveillance, I presume.’

Who was the author of the Bengali book, ‘Pather Daabi’? Was Saratchandra Chattopadhyay, a bad author at that time? Why the book, ‘Pather Daabi’ got banned by the British Government? Jhunku’s father scolded Jhunku for reading a banned book. Surya Sen planned to snatch away Chittagong from the British Empire. ‘Kisi ko yakeen nahi hoga ki yeh honewala hain. Sab ko laagta hain ki angrez unconquerable hain, woh jeete nahi jaa sakte, joh aaj tak hua nahi, abhi kyon nahi ho sakta?’ Nirmal Sen fell in love with Pritilata Waddedar, a school mistress, who is also a member of IRA. Why Johnson’s bike slipped on the road? Mr. Wilkinson got the secret information that Jhunku is also a member of IRA. During Durga Puja festival, who murdered Sukhendu Guha, a member of IRA? The death of Sukhendu made the IRA members more violent. Ambika Chakraborty promised to supply pistols to all the IRA members. ‘Bolo kab lete ho Chittagong?’ Tegra Bal started saying that Jhunku acted as a traitor, though he was not. ‘Saala Gaddar.’ Even Aparna started doubting him. Jhunku felt depressed. ‘Bechain hain sapne, naye aasmaan bulaye; pankh yeh bole dolo dolo. Sagar ki lehrein jheel mein samaaye, paani yeh bole kholo kholo. Ek jung hain jaari.’ Masterda knew very well that Mr. Wilkinson has fooled Jhunku to know about Sukhendu in details. Mr. Wilkinson wanted the transfer of Johnson, but, the Governor General of Calcutta gave promotion to Johnson. Charles Johnson became DIG Charles Johnson. Jhunku asked for the justification of this promotion process. For killing Sukhendu Guha, Johnson got promoted. ‘Yehi hain jisko chilla chilla ke British justice kahete teh, you liar, you hypocrite.’

Indian Republican Army started giving the training to their comrades about how to operate a gun. Surya Sen made the plan to attack Police Line and Auxiliary Forces Armoury in Chittagong. ‘Inh dono jagah o ko todh doh unki kamar tut jaayegi.’ The preparation started as per the plans. ‘Mashaal mein jaaga do, jeene ki wajaa do, kahe rahi hain mujhse zindagi...chingaariyan bann ke main bikharta jaaoon har kahi.’ IRA comrades also planned to attack European Club of Chittagong. The train line between Calcutta to Chittagong would be derailed and the telephone connections of Chittagong would be disconnected. The Indian women gave away their bangles and jewels to Masterda as a fund for the freedom struggle movement against the British Government. Pritilata knew very well that Nirmal loves her, but, Nirmal was unable to tell those magical three words to Pritilata. ‘Hoton ki munder pe ruki, motiyon si baat bol do. Feeki feeki si hain zindagi, cheeni cheeni khwab khol do. Dekho na beet jaaye yeh lamhe yeh ghariyan. Bolo na, bolo na.’ IRA started the military operation with lots of teenaged comrades. On 18^th April, 1930, IRA comrades captured Police Line and AFI Armoury House. Nirmal Sen and Loknath Bal failed to find the machine guns inside the armoury house. Due to Good Friday, European Club remained closed. But, Masterda appreciated that the military operation was successful and hoisted the Indian Flag in Chittagong. ‘British hukumat ko unke jarh se hee hila diya. Yeh koi trained fauzi o ne nahi kiya, yeh kiya kuch chand baccho ne. Itihaas agar yaad rakhega toh sirf ish baat ko; aur kuch nahi. Indian Republican Army, zindabad. Inquilab Zindabad.’

The Governor General of Calcutta ordered the Magistrate of Chittagong, ‘What you need is to strike a terror into the hearts of every resident in Chittagong. Go after anyone who is sympathetic about rebels.’ Ahsanullah, an Indian Policeman under British Government started cruelty on the poor Indians of Chittagong. Anant Singh and Ganesh Ghosh went to Calcutta. The IRA comrades were hiding in the jungles of the hilly areas of Chittagong. The encounter took place against the British Policemen. Several IRA comrades and British Policemen died in that encounter. Loknath Bal lost his younger brother, Tegra Bal in that encounter. The British Policemen decided to retreat out of fear. All the teenaged comrades were told to go back home till further notifications for joining the IRA camp again. Jhunku came back home, but, Ahsanullah arrested him. Jhunku was badly tortured by the British Policemen, but, he did not leak out any information about Surya Sen and other freedom fighters. Ahsanullah killed Nirmal Sen. Pritilata Waddedar took up guns to take the sweet revenge. ‘Hindusthan mein bahadur beton ki kami nahi hain, ish mulk ki mitti unke hoon se nahelayi hui hain, lekin aaj ek nayi baat inh haawa mein hogi. Gori hukumat ko yeh pata chal jaayega ki hindusthan ki betiyaan bhi waqt aane par apni jaan ko kurbaan kar sakti hain.’ Two teenaged comrades of IRA murdered Ahsanullah. Pritilata gunned down Charles Johnson inside the European Club. Later on, Pritilata became the first female martyr freedom fighter of 20^th Century by taking poison instead of surrendering herself.

Surya Sen made a deal with the British people. Masterda requested to spare the lives of teenaged comrades and in return they will stop attacking the British Government. Some comrades were freed, but 12 IRA comrades were sent to Kaala Paani, i.e. to the jail at Andaman Islands. On 16^th February, 1933, Masterda got arrested. Surya Sen was hanged till death by the British Government on 12^th January, 1934. The revolutionary movements in Bengal and Punjab compelled the British Government to release many freedom fighters from jails. Jhunku alias Subodh Roy came back to Chittagong in 1939 after getting released from the Andaman Cellular Jail. ‘Masterda ki qurbaani bekaar chali jaayegi.’ No, not at all! Time has changed, but, the enemy remained the same. British people utilized the Indian Zamindars to loot the crops of poor farmers. Farmers of Bengal were angry on the British Government. Jhunku told all the farmers to dig tunnels to go out of their villages to capture the granary as the British policemen were not allowing the villagers to go outside their respective village. British Policemen again tried to know the secret plan. That’s why; they chased Jhunku and Aparna. Aparna got injured as a bullet got struck at one of her legs. Mr. Wilkinson, the then Magistrate warned Jhunku but at that time, it was too late for the British Government as all the farmers of Chittagong came out of the tunnels to capture the granary. ‘Khul gaya naya dwaar hain, ishaan ki jhankar hain, jahan zindagi, jahan roshni geet hain, ishaan hain woh subah. Jahan khwab hain, ummeed hain, jeet hain.’ The Tebhaga Uprising of 1945 happened in Bengal because of the start of the freedom struggle movement by the farmers of “CHITTAGONG”.