Revolutionary Activity in Bengal

At a Glance

• Groups Anushilan, Yugantar and the Chittagong Revolt Group
• 1924 Gopinath Saha’s attempt on Tegart; Saha hanged
• Chittagong raid April 1930, 65 activists under the Indian Republican Army, Chittagong Branch
• Surya Sen Arrested February 1933; hanged January 1934
• Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: Swarajists, New Forces and Revolutionaries in the 1920s

Where Does It Fit?

This is the sixth topic of the category on the Swarajists, new forces and revolutionaries in the 1920s. The previous topic covered the revolutionaries of Punjab, the United Provinces and Bihar. This topic covers Bengal. The next topic covers the official reaction and the ideological rethinking of the revolutionaries. Previous topic: Revolutionary Activity in Punjab, United Provinces and Bihar.

How Did Bengal’s Revolutionaries Regroup in the 1920s?

During the 1920s many revolutionary groups in Bengal reorganised their underground activities, while many continued under the Congress, which gave them access to the masses and gave the Congress an organisational base in towns and villages. Many cooperated with C.R. Das in his Swarajist work. After Das died in 1925, the Bengal Congress split into two factions: one under J.M. Sengupta, which the Anushilan group joined, and the other under Subhash Bose, backed by the Yugantar group. The earlier phase of Bengal’s revolutionaries is in Revolutionary Activities in Bengal.

The reorganised groups attempted the assassination of the notorious Calcutta Police Commissioner, Charles Tegart, by Gopinath Saha in 1924, in which another man, Day, was killed. The government, armed with a new ordinance, came down heavily; many, including Subhash Bose, were arrested, and Gopinath Saha was hanged.

Because of government repression and factionalism the revolutionary activity suffered a setback, but many soon regrouped. Among the new Revolt Groups the most active and famous was the Chittagong group under Surya Sen.

Who Was Surya Sen?

Surya Sen had taken part in the Khilafat Committee Congress approval Special session at Calcutta, September 1920 Nagpur session…">Non-Cooperation Movement and become a teacher in the national school in Chittagong. He was imprisoned from 1926 to 1928 for revolutionary activity and then continued working in the Congress, as secretary of the Chittagong District Congress Committee. He used to say that humanism is a special virtue of a revolutionary. He was a lover of poetry and an admirer of Tagore and Qazi Nazrul Islam.

What Was the Chittagong Armoury Raid, April 1930?

Surya Sen decided to organise an armed rebellion with his associates Anant Singh, Ganesh Ghosh and Lokenath Baul, to show that it was possible to challenge the armed might of the British Empire. They planned to occupy two main armouries in Chittagong, seize and supply arms to revolutionaries, destroy telephone and telegraph lines, and dislocate the railway link between Chittagong and the rest of Bengal.

The raid fired the imagination of revolutionary-minded youth, and recruits poured steadily into the groups.

What Were the New Features of the Movement in Bengal?

Some noteworthy aspects marked this phase.

Prominent women revolutionaries included Pritilata Waddedar, who died while conducting a raid; Kalpana Dutt, arrested and tried with Surya Sen and given a life sentence; Santi Ghosh and Suniti Chaudhuri, schoolgirls of Comilla who shot dead the district magistrate in December 1931; and Bina Das, who fired point blank at the Governor while receiving her degree at the convocation in February 1932. As an analytical point, the entry of women and Muslims and the shift to group action show that the movement was widening its social base and dropping the ritual character of the earlier groups described in Revolutionary Activities in Bengal.

What Were the Drawbacks?

The movement retained some conservative elements and failed to evolve broader socio-economic goals. Those working with the Swarajists did not support the cause of the Muslim peasantry against zamindars in Bengal, which was also a Swarajist weakness, as noted in no-changers-constructive-work/" class="maargx-auto-link" data-preview="At a Glance Swarajist wins Outvoted the government; Vithalbhai Patel Speaker 1925; Public Safety Bill defeated 1928 Decline Communal riots, splits, Das…">Swarajist Activity in the Councils and the No-Changers’ Constructive Work. The state’s response to these groups is described in Official Reaction and Ideological Rethinking of the Revolutionaries.

Why Is This Topic Important?

• Chittagong raid A stock Prelims fact with dates and names
• Women revolutionaries Names of Pritilata Waddedar, Kalpana Dutt and Bina Das are often asked
• Change in method Group action and a more inclusive character

What Came Next?

The next topic describes how the government reacted to the revolutionaries and how their ideas changed. Next topic: Official Reaction and Ideological Rethinking of the Revolutionaries.

Key People and Terms

• Surya Sen Leader of the Chittagong group
• Indian Republican Army Banner of the 1930 Chittagong raid
• Pritilata Waddedar Woman revolutionary who died conducting a raid
• Kalpana Dutt Woman revolutionary tried with Surya Sen
• Bina Das Fired at the Governor at a convocation in 1932
• Gopinath Saha Attempted to kill Tegart in 1924

Exam Corner

Mains Angle

Questions ask about the new features of Bengal’s revolutionary phase. These points add depth.

• Group action Directed at the colonial State
• Inclusiveness Women and Muslims
• Limits No broader socio-economic goals