Thread by @abhijitmajumder

January 12, 1934. Exactly 88 years ago.
British hanged Mastar-da Surya Sen, then 39, for raiding the Chittagong armoury.
Before the hanging, they plucked out his nails. They also hammered off all his teeth to stop him from singing Vande Mataram.
Always sing that song with pride.

Mastar-da Surya Sen gave up teaching to form ‘Indian Republican Army’ in 1929 with young revolutionaries. He taught them swimming, rowing, climbing, stick fight, throwing knives, boxing, making arms and ammo. Netaji Subhash Bose made him gen secy of Chittagong district Congress.

On April 18, 1930, Surya Sen raided armouries of Chittagong police and auxiliary forces with 65-70 revolutionaries, mostly teenagers. Master-da, in dhoti and a long coat, took a military salute, hoisted the National Flag amid shouts of ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Inquilab Zindabad’.

Master-da’s band cut off comm lines, held Chittagong free of British control for 3 days. Colonisers struck back and killed over 2 dozen revolutionaries. Aide Netra Sen tipped off police about his location. Master-da was arrested. His men later beheaded Netra Sen for the betrayal.

Brit police tortured Master-da Surya Sen mercilessly. Plucked out his nails, broke his bones, even hammered out his teeth so that he can’t sing #VandeMataram at the gallows. He was hanged in January 12, 1934.
(Below is a poster of the most-wanted Master-da. Reward Rs 10,000).

What was Master-da Surya Sen’s impact on the Indian freedom struggle?
“In battle for India’s freedom, Chittagong uprising of 1930 turned the tide, and brought in its wake a rising clamour for immediate Independence”
~ Samuel Hoare, then British secretary of state for India. [End]