Surya Sen : An unsung hero of India's Freedom

Early life:

Sen was born on 22 March 1894 at Noapara, in Chittagong, Bengal. His father Ramaniranjan Sen was a teacher by profession. In 1916 when he was a B.A. student in Berhampore College he learned about Indian freedom movement from one of his teachers. He felt attracted towards revolutionary ideals and joined a revolutionary organization called Anushilan Samity. After completing his studies he returned to Chittagong in 1918 and joined as a Mathematics teacher at National school, Nandankanan . 

Sen was noted for leading the 1930 Chittagong armoury raid in Chittagong, Bengal.

He was popularly called as “Master Da”.

1930 Chittagong armoury raid:

Surya Sen led a group of revolutionaries on 18 April 1930 to raid the armoury of police from the Chittagong armoury. The plan was of the seizing of arms from the armoury as well as destruction of communication system of the city (including telephone, telegraph and railway), thereby isolating Chittagong from the rest of British India. However, the group could loot the arms, but they failed to get the ammunition. They hoisted the Indian National Flag on the premises of the armoury, and then escaped. A few days later, a large fraction of the revolutionary group was cornered in the nearby Jalalabad hills by the British troops. In the ensuing fight, twelve revolutionaries died, many were arrested, while some managed to flee, including Sen.

Arrest and Death:

Sen stayed in hiding, and kept moving from one place to another. Sometimes he took up a job as a workman, a farmer, a priest, a house worker or even as a pious Muslim. This was how he avoided being captured by the British. He once hid in the house of a man called Netra Sen. But Netra Sen informed the British of his hiding, and the police came and captured him in February 1933. Before Netra Sen could be rewarded by the British, a revolutionary came into his house and beheaded him with a long knife called da. As Netra Sen's wife was a big supporter of Surya Sen, she never disclosed the name of the revolutionary who killed Netra Sen. 

Before Surya Sen was hanged, he was brutally tortured by the British. The British executioners broke all his teeth with a hammer, and pulled out all his nails. They broke all his limbs and joints. He was dragged to the rope unconscious.

His last letter was written to his friends and said:

 "Death is knocking at my door. My mind is flying away towards eternity ...At such a pleasant, at such a grave, at such a solemn moment, what shall I leave behind you? Only one thing, that is my dream, a golden dream-the dream of Free India.... Never forget the 18th of April,1930, the day of the eastern Rebellion in Chittagong... Write in red letters in the core of your hearts the names of the patriots who have sacrificed their lives at the altar of India’s freedom." 

Sen was given a burial at sea in the Bay of Bengal.

Its a pity that many of us don't even know who Surya Sen was and he has done so much for the freedom that we enjoy today.