<span style='color:red'>New Insight Into Khudiram Martyrdom </span>
Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey | TNN
<img src='http://inlinethumb44.webshots.com/11627/2228267300100818794S500x500Q85.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
One of the most enduring legends of the freedom struggle is that of an 18-year-old boy climbing the gallows with a smile on his face. The smile stayed when the hangman pulled the lever, Khudiram Boseâs last cry of âVande Mataramâ still resonating in the air.
The young martyrâs courage seems all the more awe-inspiring in the light of new information discovered in the state archives by historians. Khudiramâs lawyer, Narendra Kumar Basu had moved a clemency petition before the British government, keeping in mind the tender age of Khudiram. It is not known whether the revolutionary knew of this petition or whether it was filed without his consent.
The plea was rejected but it could not put a dent on Khudiramâs courage. The researchers, who dug up details of the mercy petition, say it will be some time before they conclude their findings but they already have enough evidence on the petition.
<b>Teen Heroics </b>
Khudiram had joined the revolutionary group, Yugantar, when he was just 16 years old. It was the Partition of Bengal in 1905 that fired up his patriotism. With the instinct of youth, he was drawn to militant nationalism. Soon, he was said to be going around planting bombs near police stations and targeting British officials, showing amazing courage and coolheadedness in the face of danger.
It was qualities such as these that led the revolutionaries to pick him, along with Prafulla Chaki, for the job of assassinating magistrate Kingsford in Muzaffarpur in 1908. Kingsford, known for his harshness towards freedom fighters, had recently been transferred there from his earlier position of chief presidency magistrate. Khudiram and Chaki were asked to draw up their own plan. They kept a close watch on Kingsfordâs movements and decided to strike when he would leave European Club in the evening.
On April 30, 1908, the duo staked out the club waiting for Kingsfordâs carriage. About the same time that the magistrate would drive out, a horse carriage emerged from the gates. Thinking it was Kingsford, the duo hurled bombs, blowing it to bits. Unfortunately, it wasnât the magistrateâs coach. Two women â Mrs Kennedy and her daughter â were killed.
Police launched a manhunt for the revolutionaries. Chaki, cornered at Samastipur station, shot himself dead. Khudiram was arrested and put on trial.
<b>New Revelations</b>
Recently, the West Bengal home-political department and the intelligence branch sent declassified documents to the state archives, with a day-by-day account of Khudiramâs trial till his hanging on August 11. The documents shed new light on the revolutionaryâs last days in jail.
According to these documents, on May 1, Khudiram had accepted the murder charge in front of Muzaffarpur district magistrate, Woodman. But a few days later, when he was tried at Alipore sessions court, his âconfessionâ sounded somewhat different. The records claim that the young revolutionary had said he was âconvinced into committing the actâ by Chaki.
âUnfortunately, by then British government had prepared a full fledged âcaseâ against him. Though his counsel fought hard to protect him, it didnât help. Khudiram Bose was sentenced to death by hanging. His lawyer sent out a mercy appeal to the lieutenant governor to spare the young manâs life and commute his sentence to life imprisonment,â said Atish Dasgupta, director of the archives, who is leading the team of scholars in their quest. Khudiramâs case was fought by Narendra Kumar Basu, a veteran lawyer of the high court then, who refused to take any fees.
<b>Mysteries linger </b>
âThe lawyer appealed that since Bose was just 18 years old, the government could take pity on him and allow him to live, though not completely pardon him because he was guilty of killing two innocent women,â Dasgupta told TOI. The clemency petition also hinted that Khudiram had no links with any extremist group and that the arms were given to him by Chaki.
âThough the fact about the mercy appeal is somewhat established, we are yet to find out whether Khudiram was at all involved in filing the plea, or it was his counselâs own initiative,â Dasgupta said.
âOur records say that after the appeal was rejected, Khudiram suddenly became very quiet, somewhat withdrawn, so much so that when he was repeatedly asked by the jailor prior to the execution whether he knew that he would be hanged, he would just nod in the affirmative. When asked if he was scared, he would nod vigorously to say no,â Dasgupta said.
The state archives will display the new findings on Khudiram, along with some rare photographs, in November to commemorate 100 years of the death of four of the earliest revolutionaries â Khudiram Bose, Prafulla Chaki, Kanailal Dutta and Satyen Bose.
<b>The Muzaffarpur Incident </b>
Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki were sent to Muzaffarpur, Bihar, to assassinate Kingsford, the Calcutta Presidency Magistrate, who was later appointed magistrate of Muzaffarpur
Khudiram and Chaki kept a watch on Kingsfordâs movements and prepared a plan to kill him. On the evening of April 30, 1908, the duo waited in front of the gate of the European Club for Kingsfordâs carriage. When a horse coach came out of the gate, they hurled bombs and blew up the carriage. However, the vehicle was not carrying Kingsford and two British women â the wife and daughter of barrister Pringle Kennedy â were killed instead. The revolutionary duo fled. Prafulla committed suicide when cornered by police at Samastipur railway station. Khudiram was arrested a few days later, tried and hanged to death. He was just 18
<b>HEROâS LIFE </b>
Dec 3, 1889: Born in Mahabani village of Midnapore
1905: Turning point in his life: The Partition of Bengal stirred the revolutionary in him and he joined an âundergroundâ organization Yugantar. At the age of 16, he was said to be planting bombs in police stations and targeting British officials
April 30, 1908: He tried to assassinate Kingsford but ends up killing two British women by mistake
Aug 11, 1908: Hanged in Muzaffarpur jail
<img src='http://inlinethumb10.webshots.com/21001/2737730030100818794S500x500Q85.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
<img src='http://inlinethumb29.webshots.com/43420/2048781600100818794S500x500Q85.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
Above pictures taken in Muzaffarpur Jail by police, a day or two before hanging. He appears very calm and resolute.
Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey | TNN
<img src='http://inlinethumb44.webshots.com/11627/2228267300100818794S500x500Q85.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
One of the most enduring legends of the freedom struggle is that of an 18-year-old boy climbing the gallows with a smile on his face. The smile stayed when the hangman pulled the lever, Khudiram Boseâs last cry of âVande Mataramâ still resonating in the air.
The young martyrâs courage seems all the more awe-inspiring in the light of new information discovered in the state archives by historians. Khudiramâs lawyer, Narendra Kumar Basu had moved a clemency petition before the British government, keeping in mind the tender age of Khudiram. It is not known whether the revolutionary knew of this petition or whether it was filed without his consent.
The plea was rejected but it could not put a dent on Khudiramâs courage. The researchers, who dug up details of the mercy petition, say it will be some time before they conclude their findings but they already have enough evidence on the petition.
<b>Teen Heroics </b>
Khudiram had joined the revolutionary group, Yugantar, when he was just 16 years old. It was the Partition of Bengal in 1905 that fired up his patriotism. With the instinct of youth, he was drawn to militant nationalism. Soon, he was said to be going around planting bombs near police stations and targeting British officials, showing amazing courage and coolheadedness in the face of danger.
It was qualities such as these that led the revolutionaries to pick him, along with Prafulla Chaki, for the job of assassinating magistrate Kingsford in Muzaffarpur in 1908. Kingsford, known for his harshness towards freedom fighters, had recently been transferred there from his earlier position of chief presidency magistrate. Khudiram and Chaki were asked to draw up their own plan. They kept a close watch on Kingsfordâs movements and decided to strike when he would leave European Club in the evening.
On April 30, 1908, the duo staked out the club waiting for Kingsfordâs carriage. About the same time that the magistrate would drive out, a horse carriage emerged from the gates. Thinking it was Kingsford, the duo hurled bombs, blowing it to bits. Unfortunately, it wasnât the magistrateâs coach. Two women â Mrs Kennedy and her daughter â were killed.
Police launched a manhunt for the revolutionaries. Chaki, cornered at Samastipur station, shot himself dead. Khudiram was arrested and put on trial.
<b>New Revelations</b>
Recently, the West Bengal home-political department and the intelligence branch sent declassified documents to the state archives, with a day-by-day account of Khudiramâs trial till his hanging on August 11. The documents shed new light on the revolutionaryâs last days in jail.
According to these documents, on May 1, Khudiram had accepted the murder charge in front of Muzaffarpur district magistrate, Woodman. But a few days later, when he was tried at Alipore sessions court, his âconfessionâ sounded somewhat different. The records claim that the young revolutionary had said he was âconvinced into committing the actâ by Chaki.
âUnfortunately, by then British government had prepared a full fledged âcaseâ against him. Though his counsel fought hard to protect him, it didnât help. Khudiram Bose was sentenced to death by hanging. His lawyer sent out a mercy appeal to the lieutenant governor to spare the young manâs life and commute his sentence to life imprisonment,â said Atish Dasgupta, director of the archives, who is leading the team of scholars in their quest. Khudiramâs case was fought by Narendra Kumar Basu, a veteran lawyer of the high court then, who refused to take any fees.
<b>Mysteries linger </b>
âThe lawyer appealed that since Bose was just 18 years old, the government could take pity on him and allow him to live, though not completely pardon him because he was guilty of killing two innocent women,â Dasgupta told TOI. The clemency petition also hinted that Khudiram had no links with any extremist group and that the arms were given to him by Chaki.
âThough the fact about the mercy appeal is somewhat established, we are yet to find out whether Khudiram was at all involved in filing the plea, or it was his counselâs own initiative,â Dasgupta said.
âOur records say that after the appeal was rejected, Khudiram suddenly became very quiet, somewhat withdrawn, so much so that when he was repeatedly asked by the jailor prior to the execution whether he knew that he would be hanged, he would just nod in the affirmative. When asked if he was scared, he would nod vigorously to say no,â Dasgupta said.
The state archives will display the new findings on Khudiram, along with some rare photographs, in November to commemorate 100 years of the death of four of the earliest revolutionaries â Khudiram Bose, Prafulla Chaki, Kanailal Dutta and Satyen Bose.
<b>The Muzaffarpur Incident </b>
Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki were sent to Muzaffarpur, Bihar, to assassinate Kingsford, the Calcutta Presidency Magistrate, who was later appointed magistrate of Muzaffarpur
Khudiram and Chaki kept a watch on Kingsfordâs movements and prepared a plan to kill him. On the evening of April 30, 1908, the duo waited in front of the gate of the European Club for Kingsfordâs carriage. When a horse coach came out of the gate, they hurled bombs and blew up the carriage. However, the vehicle was not carrying Kingsford and two British women â the wife and daughter of barrister Pringle Kennedy â were killed instead. The revolutionary duo fled. Prafulla committed suicide when cornered by police at Samastipur railway station. Khudiram was arrested a few days later, tried and hanged to death. He was just 18
<b>HEROâS LIFE </b>
Dec 3, 1889: Born in Mahabani village of Midnapore
1905: Turning point in his life: The Partition of Bengal stirred the revolutionary in him and he joined an âundergroundâ organization Yugantar. At the age of 16, he was said to be planting bombs in police stations and targeting British officials
April 30, 1908: He tried to assassinate Kingsford but ends up killing two British women by mistake
Aug 11, 1908: Hanged in Muzaffarpur jail
<img src='http://inlinethumb10.webshots.com/21001/2737730030100818794S500x500Q85.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
<img src='http://inlinethumb29.webshots.com/43420/2048781600100818794S500x500Q85.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
Above pictures taken in Muzaffarpur Jail by police, a day or two before hanging. He appears very calm and resolute.