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This anthology presents glimpses of Sudhir's life, his memoirs of Sri Aurobindo in the period 1906-1909, The Mother's comments on Sudhir & other revolutionaries

Sudhir Kumar Sarkar: A Spirit Indomitable

Sudhir Kumar Sarkar
Sudhir Kumar Sarkar

This anthology presents glimpses of Sudhir's life, his memoirs of Sri Aurobindo in the period 1906-1909, The Mother's comments on Sudhir & other revolutionaries

Sudhir Kumar Sarkar: A Spirit Indomitable Editor:   Mona Sarkar 2019 Edition
English

APPENDIX



Historical Documents


(As is well known, the revolutionaries of the first decade of the century took great care to erase their own footprints on the sands of time, partly because they had no desire to be adored by the posterity and partly because of the very nature of their activity, the need to carry on their mission in utmost secrecy so that the foreign rulers could not nip the movement in the bud. Here are a few documents which have come down to us, surviving the vicissitudes of time and the practice to dispose of accumulated papers in the different departments of the government from time to time.

However, despite their meagreness and discrepancies for obvious reasons, they give us glimpses of Sudhir Kumar’s life and activities which are significant and of which [such as his role in a conspiracy against the Chief Commissioner of the Andamans] he had never cared to shed any light himself.)


“The Hindu”[11] – Madras

(The following is published in the ‘Indian Telegrams’
columns of “The Hindu” of 12th. May 1908:)

Development at Khulna

“A hospital Assistant’s son arrested.” Calcutta, May 11 — A Khulna wire of yesterday’s date says: A Muhammadan detective from Calcutta came here this morning with instructions from the authorities and assisted by District Superintendent of Police, Inspector Bhowani Charan Nandi and a posse of Sub-Inspectors and Constables surrounded the house of Prasanna Kumar Sarkar, Hospital Assistant, at 7 a.m., in connection with the Muzaffarpur Bomb Outrage Case. Every nook and corner of his house was ransacked but nothing was taken away except some private letters. Prasanna Babu’s son, Sudhir Kumar, was arrested under Section 121, Indian Penal Code. He was all cheerful and found to be freely talking with the Police officers without the least indication of nervousness. His father was a little overpowered, but he consoled him. The search lasted three hours. Sudhir will be taken to Calcutta by night under Police custody. He has not been handcuffed.

(Madras Newspaper Report — English, 1908, p. 297/2)


Statement of Sudhir Kumar Sarkar of May 11, 1908

(The statement of accused aged about 18 years, made before Mr. L. Birley,
Magistrate of the 1st Class, at Alipore on the 11th day of May 1908, in the English Language
.)

Sudhir’s confession:

Q: Do you wish to make a statement to me?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you understand that I am a Magistrate and that anything which you say to me can be used as evidence against you?

A: Yes.

Q: Has any pressure been used to induce you to make a statement?

A: No.

Q: Where were you at School?

A: I was a pupil at the Khulna Zilla School until nearly 2 years ago.

Q: Why did you leave?

A: For 2 reasons, first because of the Swadeshi agitation, and secondly because I failed in 2 subjects in a School Examination.

Q: What did you do then?

A: My father sent me to Sahebganj to my brother Narendra Kumar Sircar, who was assistant Jailor at Bhagalpur. My father wished me either to get employment or continue my studies. I had no mind to learn at the Calcutta University or to get an official employment. I therefore left my brother after about 15 days and went to Calcutta and became acquainted with Barindra Kumar Ghose.

Q: When was that?

A: About a year and a half ago.

Q: How did you make this acquaintance?

A: I met him at the Jugantar Office where I used to get the Jugantar newspaper: the office is at 41 Champatola 1st Lane. I assisted at publishing the newspaper.

Q: Who were managing it then?

A: Abinash Chandra Bhattacharjee was Manager and there were also helping in the office Upendra Nath Banerjee, Barindra Kumar Ghose, Dindayal and Sailendra Ghose, Dindayal was only living there; He was employed by the Tramways.

Q: How long did you help in the office?

A: I lived there one month. I took no pay. Upendra gave me some books and I bought others on his recommendation: he instructed me to read them.

Q: What Books?

A: “The Works of Mazzini”, “Garibaldi”, “Desherkatha” by Sakaram Ganesh Deoskar, Bankim Babu’s works, Bhudeb Babu’s works (he was Director of Public Instruction), Upanishad, Gita. After being at the Jugantar office one month I went to Khulna and occasionally came to Maniktola and used to stay for 7 or 8 days at a time in the Garden house of Barindra. I first got to know the garden house while I was in the Jugantar office. Barindra took me there saying that there was a mission for religion and self-abnegation and political purposes.

Q: Who used to live at the Garden house?

A: Upendranath Banerjee who used to teach me from the books named above. Others also used to be there: Barindra, Sishir Kumar Ghosh, Bejoy Kumar Nag; there were many others who used to come sometimes for a day at a time or a few hours. I cannot remember their names.

Q: What were the political purposes of the mission?

A: To serve the motherland and to serve the people.

Q: When did you last leave the Maniktolla Garden House?

A: Nearly 2 months ago, since when I have been at Khulna, reading.

Q: How do you support yourself?

A: I was supported by my father who is a Government Hospital Assistant.

Q: Have you anything else to say?

A: I intended to teach illiterate people religion.

Q: How was the mission supported?

A: Barindra had a lot of money.


Statements made by Sudhir:

Sudhir Kumar Sarkar, of Khulna —

I met Barindra about a year ago. I left the Zillah School about a year and a half ago, as I joined the Swadeshi movement, I learnt all about this from books, vernacular papers and speeches. Among the books I read were Desher Katha, Bankim Babu’s works, Bhudev Chandra Mukherjee’s works, Instruction in politics and social matters. From these books I learnt to love my country and countrymen. I read up to the second class but I was not desirous of continuing my studies. I left the school. My father then sent me to my brother Norendra, who is Assistant Jailer, Bhagalpur, to get some work to do or to continue my studies, my father’s objection being that I should thereby cut off all connection with the agitation that was going on in Khulna. I remained in Bhagalpur about a fortnight and then fled to Calcutta and put up in 46, Ramtanu Bose’s lane, students’ and officers’ mess. I cultivated the friendship of Barindra Babu in the Yugantar Office, as I used to go to the office to get papers. This was about a year ago. I stopped at the mess only two days and then removed to the Yugantar Office, where I worked as an accountant, I received no pay but all my expenses were defrayed by the manager. There was mess in the office where I used to feed and live. At this time Abinash Bhattacharjee was the manager. Others used to visit to the office whose names I do not recollect, but if I see them I will be able to recognize them. I used to see at the Yugantar Office, Barindra, Upen Babu, and Dindayal Bose and Sishir Kumar Ghose. I remained at the Yugantar Office about a month or so. I then returned to Khulna, but was in the habit of paying periodical visits to the Yugantar Office. I used to study Philosophy, History, Geography and religious politics on the quiet, both at my father’s house and the Yugantar Office, with the intention of serving my country. I did not dare to attend political meetings openly on account of my father, but whenever I could, I attended without my father’s knowledge. I used to receive instruction at the Yugantar Office from Upendra Nath Banerjee on Mental Philosophy, Political Philosophy, Physical Philosophy, and from him I learnt what it was to sacrifice my life for my motherland and self-abnegation. I have visited Calcutta about 10 or 12 times and each time I put up at the Yugantar, where I received my usual instructions as already quoted above. I had a desire to visit America for the purpose of learning Homeopathy at the expense of the Calcutta Science Association, but my father did not approve of it and would not give me the requisite certificate. This was about the time I entered the Yugantar Office. During the last six months when I visited Calcutta I stopped at 32, Maniktolla, Barindra’s garden. Upen Babu used to stop there — many boys used to visit the garden and stopped there, a short time only and then go away. I cannot remember their names and I did not make enquiries as regarding their names as it was against the rule (prohibited). My first introduction to the garden was about eight months ago, when Barin Babu took me there and told me that there was a secret mission awaiting me there. The secret mission was that we should, after receiving instructions, travel all over the country and teach the people religious ideas and thereby prepare them to resist the Government by becoming independent. Our mission was to travel all over India and preach this religious war. On being questioned what this involved, he replied that the ultimate aim and object was to turn out the foreigners. I know nothing about the manufacturing of bombs, etc., in the garden. About three months ago I visited Allahabad, Bindhachal, Chunar and Benares in order to see what the country was like. After I left the Zillah School, i.e., about a year ago, I preached Swadeshi with Sishir Kumar Ghose in villages, Sagardari (Jessore), Bagerhat, Kumora, Khalishkhali, Raoli, Katpaca and Banka. At Sagardari, I put up at the house of Sishir, at Bagerhat in the house of Debibar Chatterjee. At Khalishkhali in the house of the postmaster, who is a Chakravarty. At Raoli in the house of the maternal uncle of Sishir. My travelling expenses from Calcutta to Khulna and back were paid by Upendra Banerjee and others from the secret mission fund. I know of an advertisement which appeared in the paper called Motherland, edited at Bankipore, in which Entrance passed youths were wanted for political missions. I also know of another advertisement which appeared in the Yugantar to the effect that a society was being formed for political mission and members were wanted. This was about the time when I joined the Yugantar Office.


A paper headed “The Sahebgunj Students’ League” was found among the letters taken possession of during the house-search of Prasanna Kumar Sarkar. On being asked who supplied him with this, he replied that the draft was in the handwriting of Phani Bhusan Mukherjee, a student of Sahebgunj.

L.H. Barton
Superintendent of Police
The 10th May 1908.
Criminal Investigation Department,
Bengal.


The Alipore Bomb Trial was the first State Trial of
any Magnitude in India

A few Reports of Evidence and Cross Examination of Witnesses:

  1. Mr. Norton then dealt with the case of Sudhir Kumar Sarkar.

Counsel placed the documentary evidence against Sudhir before their Lordships. These documents consisted of a number of letters written to Sudhir by his brothers asking him to be moderate in Swadeshi. There was a letter addressed to Sudhir at 41 Champatola Lane. This showed that at that time Sudhir was living with the conspirators. Counsel referred to another letter writen by Sudhir and found at his father’s house at Khulna in which Sudhir said that he had taken a vow to serve his motherland. Mr. Norton then referred to several letters written by Sudhir but none of which were proved by Sudhir’s brother.

  1. “Exhibit 394 is a letter of 6th December from Aurobindo explaining why he was not able to send some “brandy”. He says, “Abanish is not here, nor is Sudhir. Barin was not here.” He also refers to the time as being one of anxiety.

This letter is relied on as showing Arabindo’s connection with Sudhir”.

  1. Exhibit 300-21 was found in Aurobindo’s house in an unopened envelope, addressed to Sudhir Kumar Sirkar, C/o Late Raj Narain Bose, Esq., Baidyanath, Deoghar, and across the envelope is written “Confidential.” The envelope bears the Baidyanath postmark of 24th November. It was opened by Mr. Denbam on 11th May. The point of this is to prove that Aurobindo knew Sudhir, the accused. Sudhir says that he stayed at Deoghar for two or three weeks after the Pujas, and that in March he put up at Raj Narain Bose’s house. We know that Aurobindo was at Deoghar in November. It does not follow that the two were there at the same time. On the contrary, the fact that the letter was not delivered to Sudhir at Deoghar suggests that he was not there when the letter arrived. In paragraph 17 of his written statement Aurobindo gives an explanation as to how Sudhir stayed for a short time at Deoghar. He says he does not remember even seeing the letter.
  2. There was a riot in Jamalpur in April 1907. A Mahomedan was killed. Four Calcutta volunteers including Indra Nath and Sishir Ghose were arrested on 27th April. Some Hindu Idols were outraged and Hindus alleged that they were opposed by Mahomedans. Police did not take sides with Mahomedans… Volunteers did not act in opposition to the local authorities.

The Roll of Honour on the wall of the Court in Calcutta


  1. What was alleged was that Indra Nath and Sudhir were in company with two local men of Jamalpur and as there was an apprehension of a disturbance between the Hindus and Mahomedans being caused by these persons they were bound down under section 107 of the Criminal Procedure Code to keep the peace. Counsel could not understand how that could possibly be used as evidence for establishing the association with the offence of waging war against the King. That occurrence was in April 1907. As regards this part of the case Counsel preferred to wait before making his submission until he had heard Mr. Norton as to how the latter proposed to establish a connection between Indra Nath being bound down to keep the peace in April 1907 and the offence of waging war against the King.

Answers from Prison Hospital Staff

  1. “Then there is the case of Sudhir Kumar Sarkar. We find that this prisoner was allowed to be in the hospital, and that he acted as an “Attendant” upon Aurobindo Ghosh. His name is not entered in any register. He had no business whatever to be there. We are of opinion, in these circumstances, that the medical officer did take certain liberties of the bomb case undertrial prisoners into the hospital, or allowed them to be there, who were not suffering from any serious illness. We are of opinion that in so doing he acted in contravention of the orders of the superintendent.”
  2. “The 7th charge is that bomb case prisoners made a practice of coming to the hospital, without any record being kept of such visits. Besides the specific cases of Aurobindo Ghosh, Asoke Nundi, Bijoy Nag and Sudhir Kumar Sarkar, referred to above, there is evidence to show that other bomb case prisoners came to the hospital, without any receipt being given for them, or any record being kept of their visits in contravention of jail code rules and standing orders. We have reason to believe that this hospital assistant was aware of such visits, and that he either connived at them, or intentionally omitted to have any record kept in respect of them.”
  3. “Aurobindo was in the No. 1 ward of the hospital in the charge of the Senior Hospital Assistant. Aurobindo had a sick attendant. Sudhir was his sick attendant. I saw him there, and heard he was Aurobindo’s sick attendant. I did not ever see Barindra in the hospital. Aurobindo was treated upstairs.”
  4. “I know that Sudhir K. Sarkar, one of the Bomb-case prisoners, was attendant on Aurobindo Ghosh for a couple of days. Sudhir K. Sarkar was not a patient: He was simply an attendant. I also saw Barindra Ghosh here. That was about 20 days before the murder.”
  5. “On Saturday 29th about noon when I came back to the hospital after my rounds, I saw Sudhir K. Sircar, who said to me, ‘Gossain says, that I shall be released,’ and laughed. I warned Gossain in the evening and waited till Monday to inform the other officials. But before I met the superintendent the fatal occurrence had taken place.”

(Murder of Noren Gossain 31-8-08)


If their Lordships were satisfied that exhibit 774 was written by Sudhir, then his case stood on a different footing. Exhibit 774 was a post-card addressed to Upendra Nath Banerjee, Seal’s Lodge Deoghar, and was signed by Sudhir. There was nothing in that post-card about the garden except the postscript which ran as follows: “The condition of the garden is bad; monkeys are entering. There is possibility of spoiling. The boys are like that.” If their Lordships were not satisfied that Sudhir wrote that post-card then the case against him was one of mere suspicion only.

Mr. Das: … For instance, in Sudhir’s case, he (Mr. Norton) gets hold of a letter that he has picketted and at once he rushes to the conclusion that he joined the conspiracy. It is that sort of arguments against which I protest.

Referring to the case of Sudhir Mr. Das first of all drew their Lordships’ attention to the confession made by the appellant. He admitted having assisted in the publication of the Yugantar. This confession was obtained by the police by inducement and pressure. But the confession did not show that he was a conspirator. Apart from this confession there was nothing in the evidence to show that Sudhir had agreed to the general objects of the conspiracy. The documentary evidence connecting him with the garden was no evidence of his complicity in the conspiracy.

With reference to Abinash, Sailendra and Sudhir, Mr. Das submitted that the case against them was due more or less to the fact that the prosecution wanted to connect Arabinda through them.

After dealing at great length with the case of Sudhir Sarkar, he (judge) said: On a consideration of the evidence I hold that Sudhir’s presence at Seal’s Lodge is established, and also that Seal’s Lodge was intimately connected with the head-quarters of the conspiracy in Calcutta. I am further convinced that Sudhir was a frequenter of the garden, and the conclusion to which I come is that he is proved to have been guilty of an offence under Section 121A of the Indian Penal Code.

Mr. Norton, continuing his address on behalf of the Crown, said that at the last sitting of the Court he was dealing with the case of Sudhir Kumar Sircar and was discussing the post-cards. The case for the Crown had always been, and still was, that the postcards and the other letters did go from Khulna and were written by Sudhir. But should it be that it was not so, and should it be that these two letters were in the handwriting of say Nibaran, then Counsel submitted that the fact, if true, made the case against Sudhir infinitely worse. There could be no doubt whatever that Sudhir had been proved to be up to the very hilt in this conspiracy.


Alipore Jail — Judgement

Sudhir Kumar Sarkar has been found guilty by the Sessions Judge under section 121, 121-A and 122 of the Indian Penal Code, and sentenced to transportation for life. He was arrested in his father’s House at Khulna on the 10th May and he was brought down to Calcutta and placed before Mr. Birley on the 11th when he made a statement.

The case for the prosecution is that Sudhir was a member of the conspiracy, and this is sought to establish by proving his connection with the garden, and the Jugantar Newspaper, and also with Seal’s Lodge. According to his statement before Mr. Birley Sudhir was a pupil at the Khulna Zilla School which he left first because of the Swadeshi agitation, and secondly be­cause he failed in the school examination. He was then sent to his elder brother Narendra Kumar Sarkar, but as he had no mind to learn at the Calcutta University, or to get an official employment, he came to Calcutta and then made the acquaintance of Barindra Kumar Ghose, whom he met at the Jugantar Office. He assisted in the publication of the Jugantar paper for a month, he says, and then returned to Khulna “and occasionally came to Manicktollah and so used to stay for 7 or 8 days at a time in the garden house of Barindra.” Barindra took him there saying that there was a mission for religion and self-abnegation and political purposes. The political purposes were to serve the motherland and to serve the people. He intended to teach illiterate people religion.

The evidence confirms his statement that he left the Zilla School at Khulna in January 1907; that in the following April he was taken to Sahebgunge, and that in the same month he went to Calcutta. That he was in Calcutta in May is to be inferred from Exhibit… which further indicates that on the 28th of that month he had returned to Khulna. The next indication we get of his movements in 1907 is from a letter addressed to him by a friend who signs himself Monindra, apparently an old school fellow. The opening sentence of this letter in the light of what appears on the envelope Exhibit… in which it was enclosed, suggests that about the 20th November he must have been staying in the house of the late Raj Narain Bose at Baidyanath, Deoghar. This letter was found unopened at 48 Grey Street, Aurobindo Ghose’s residence, when those premises were searched by the Police, but how it came there does not appear, except that it did not come through the post. The explanation possibly is that Aurobindo was staying at Raj Narayan’s bungalow in November and December 1907, and he may have brought the letter with him to Calcutta. To link him with the garden the prosecution rely on his own statement, on the testimony of witnesses, and on documentary evidence.

His statement places this connection beyond all doubt, but he withdrew it before the Magistrate on the 13th of August attributing it to police influence, but offering no explanation. In the court of Sessions he refused to give any oral answers, but relied on a written statement, which in no way explains how he came to make his statement before Mr. Birley. Though he did withdraw his statement I agree with the Sessions Judge that there is no reason to suppose it was other than voluntary, the cross examination of Inspector Shamsul Alum having failed to prove that he was responsible for it.

General evidence as to his presence at the garden is given by Satish Chandra Banerjee, Suresh Chandra Ghose and Fazle Huq, but their inability to connect him with any particular incident, naturally detracts from the value of their testimony, which is also open to the comment that it does not harmonize with Sudhir’s statement as to the time when he was absent from Calcutta. Turning to the documentary evidence we find that the note book, Exhibit 76, contains the name Sudhir in more than one place, and this, so far as it goes, supports his own statement that he was at the garden, for there is no trace of any other Sudhir being there.

In Exhibit 239, which was found at the garden, we find in more than one place initials that might refer to Sudhir, but as they need not necessarily refer to him, it will be safer not to rely on them. Exhibits 652 and 667 were found at No. 134, Harrison Road: in the first name Sudhir appears in an account next to that of Sisir as was the case in Exhibit 76, a circumstance by no means conclusive, but at any rate significant, and in the second, initials corresponding with his appear.


The descriptive roll card for Sudhir Kumar Sarkar prepared
after conviction (from Police File)


This is the evidence as to his relations with Calcutta centres of conspiracy.

Then it is sought to connect Sudhir with the Jugantar. Inspector Purna Chandra Lahiri of the Criminal Investigation Department declares that when he searched 41, Champatollah 1st Lane on the 1st of July 1907 he found Sudhir Kumar Sirkar among others there. He asked those there “what they were as regards Jugantar,” and he was told, but apparently no mention was then made of Sudhir. It casts some doubt on the accuracy of this witness’ statement in the Session Court that before the committing Magistrate he did not know Sudhir’s name, while in the search list prepared at the time of the search no mention is made of his name. It is further to be noted that prior to this occasion the witness did not know Sudhir either by name or by sight.

If Sudhir was present and was engaged in the publication of the Jugantar, it is difficult to understand why his name was not included in the search list. This evidence is not convincing. Still we have Sudhir’s statement to Mr. Birley that it was at the Jugantar Office he first met Barin, and that he assisted in publishing the paper. But even if he did assist, as he says for a month, that by itself would not greatly strengthen the case against Sudhir, though it would not be without some value when taken in connection with other circumstances. The evidence of Sudhir’s presence at Seal’s Lodge is in part oral and in part documentary. The oral testimony is that of Hira Lall, the Post Master at Rohini and Tarini Raut, the postal peon. If the evidence of these witnesses be credited, then there can be no doubt that Sudhir was at Seal’s Lodge as be alleged by the prosecution.

This evidence in my opinion receives strong confirmation from the documents produced by these witnesses, and it was believed by the Sessions Judge before whom these witnesses on them. Exhibits 652 and 667 were found at No. 134, Harrison Road: in the first name Sudhir appears in an account next to that of Sisir as was the case in Exhibit 76, a circumstance by no means conclusive, but at any rate significant, and in the second, initials corresponding with his appear.

Though the Assessors were not for convicting Sudhir, it does not appear that they disbelieved this evidence, on the contrary such indication as we have of the opinion of the 1st assessor, and he alone alludes to this matter, points to the view, not that he did not think Sudhir was at Seal’s Lodge, if he was there, this was not any evidence of criminality on his part. Then there is documentary evidence which confirms the testimony of these two witnesses. Exhibits… and… are letters on which reliance is placed to show that Sudhir was at Seal’s Lodge in March 1908. The prosecution attribute Exhibits… and… but not to Sudhir. But neither is shown to have been signed by Sudhir, nor is it possible to read the signature at the foot of either as his. The only circumstance that suggests a connection with Sudhir are the facts that in Exhibit…, written from Seal’s Lodge, is a request that Newspapers should be redirected to “Khulna Charitable Dispensary,” and that in Exhibit… purporting to be written from Khulna Hospital is an instruction that all “letters and papers should be redirected to the above address”; i.e., Khulna Hospital. Sudhir’s father, it should be noted, was at that time Civil Hospital Assistant in charge of the Dispensary at Khulna. Then there is other evidence on which reliance is placed as showing Sudhir’s presence at Seal’s Lodge.

Thus there is the counterfoil of the money order, Exhibit… whereby Sudhir sent Re-1 to his brother Narendra Kumar Sarkar from Rohini. This is not disputed, but it is said it does not show that Sudhir was at Seal’s Lodge, and it is suggested that he was staying at Raj Narain Bose’s house, which is also in the village of Raidih. But the prosecution point to the words “Seal’s Lodge” after Sudhir’s name on this counterfoil of this money order, and the Post Master declares that he added those words at that time. The Sessions Judge believed this evidence and I see no reason for saying that his appreciation of this oral evidence was erroneous. Then there is the village postman’s visit book which supports the fact to which the postman deposes that Sudhir did sign that book and was at Raidih on the 18th of March 1908. This is not disputed but again it is said that though in the village of Raidih, Sudhir was not at Seal’s Lodge.

On this evidence I hold that Sudhir is proved to have been at Seal’s Lodge in the month of March 1908.

Now I will examine the evidence by which it is sought to establish the connection between Seal’s Lodge and the conspiracy in Calcutta.

To begin with we have correspondence which relates to the taking of this house from Debendra Nath Seal. (Exhibits 818, 697, … and …) This correspondence was between Debendra Nath Seal on the one side and Prokash Chandra Bose on the other. Who Prokash Chandra Bose was is not clearly established, though the Crown suggest that in all probability Barin assumed this name. But this at least is clear, that the letters addressed to Prokash were found at 134, Harrison Road. There were also found at this same place two plans, Exhibits 641 and 642. In the corner of Exhibit 641 is written “white and very small pucca house; very near the line: one house surrounded by a wall,” while the plan seems to indicate the neighbourhood of Seal’s Lodge.

Exhibit 642, the other plan, derives its importance from the fact that endorsed on it is the name of Prokash Chandra Bose with the address Seals Lodge. It is a curious coincidence that among the garden documents is Exhibit … a plan evidently of the same general locality as that depicted in Exhibit 642.

Exhibit … is a rough plan of the neighbourhood of Seal’s Lodge which was found at the garden, and Exhibit 276 is a gunny bag also discovered in the garden on which are the words “P Chaki, Baidyanath”. This becomes material in the light of the oral evidence of the postal peon that Profulla Chaki was at Seal’s Lodge. Among those proved to have been at Seal’s Lodge was V. B. Lele, and Exhibit … contains his name with the address, 12, Wellington Square, Calcutta, while Exhibit 382 found at No. 15, Gopi Mohan Dutt’s Lane, and Exhibit 667, found at 134, Harrison Road, also contain his name and address.

Then we have Exhibit 774, found at Seal’s Lodge, a post-card written by Sudhir to Upendra Nath Banerjee at Seal’s Lodge. It bears the Baidyanath post mark of the 11th of March but it does not appear from where it was written. The internal evidence points to its having been written by Sudhir on his arrival at the garden from Seal Lodge, but to be on the safe side and avoid anything in the nature of speculation, I will merely treat this card as going to show that Upendra Nath Banerjee, one of the conspirators, was at the Seal’s Lodge, and that Sudhir, under someone’s orders, was writing to him there directing him to come at once. Then Exhibits 1006 and 1006A show that Rs. 50 was sent by money order from Jasidi by Prokash Chandra Bose to Upendra Nath Banerjee at the garden in February 1908. This is borne out by Exhibits 920 and 921, and the evidence of P.W.’s 85 and 77.

In Exhibit 201, discovered at the garden we find an entry of a corresponding amount. Exhibit… is a rent receipt for Seal’s Lodge made out in the name of the Satyendra Nath Babu, found at No. 134, Harrison Road. Though he was not positive at a point, Debendra Nath Seal, by whom the receipt was given, thought Bibhuti Bhusan Sarkar was like the man. Exhibit con­firms the fact of payment being made by Satyendra Nath. Exhibit 769 are two wrappers found at Seal’s Lodge with Prakash’s name on them.


The Roll of Honour at the Cellular Jail, Andamans


Then Exhibit 777 one of Messrs. Hewlett’s labels was found at Seal’s Lodge, while similar labels were found at 15, Gopi Mohan Dutt’s Lane and 134, Harrison Road. Eight pieces of tin and one of zinc were also found there, which in the opinion of the Chemical Examiner, corresponded with similar fragments taken from the garden; and tin and zinc are used in the manufacture of bombshells. There were other articles discovered at Seal’s Lodge, e.g., Exhibits 767, 768, 770, 772, 773 and 771, but they do not call for separate notice.

Exhibit … is a declaration in favour of Swadeshi principles found in Sudhir’s home at Khulna, and is only relevant if at all, so far as it indicates his interest in the movement. Apart from this nothing was discovered at Khulna that calls for notice.

On a consideration of the evidence I hold that Sudhir’s presence at Seal’s Lodge is established, and also that Seal’s Lodge was intimately connected with the head-quarters of the conspiracy in Calcutta. I am further convinced that Sudhir was a frequenter of garden, and the conclusion to which I come is that he is proved to have been guilty of an offence under section 121A of the Indian Penal Code.


Records of Home Department

On the 12th December (1909) seven of the Convicts sentenced to transportation in the Alipore bomb case were despatched to the Andamans. Every precaution was taken to maintain secrecy and there was no gathering or demonstration at the jetty. Three of the prisoners, Poresh Chandra Maulik, Upendra Nath Banerji and Sudhir Kumar Sircar, are detained temporarily in the Alipore Central Jail owing to illness.


From the Records of Home Department Political

Sarkar, Sudhir Kumar, son of Prasanna Kumar, of Lakhipur, Police-station Pangsha, Faridpur. Year of birth 1890.

A member of the West Bengal revolutionary party. Sent up for trial in the Alipore bomb case (1909) and sentenced to transportation for life. Sentence subsequently reduced by the High Court to one of 7 years’ transportation. While in the Andamans, was concerned in a conspiracy to assassinate the Chief Commissioner by means of a clock-work bomb. On his release was again concerned in revolutionary activity. Took part in an attempt to cash a Rs. 1,000 note which was one of the notes stolen in the Kantapukur robbery. Interned, vide Go­vernment order dated 7th June 1917. Released on 22nd May 1918, on guarantee.



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS


We are grateful to the following persons and many others, too numerous to recall at the moment, who have given us assistance and encouragement and have contributed in some way to the making of the book.

Late Sunderlal Pateseria

Late Ashit Gupta

Pranab Bhattacharya

Jayantilal Parekh

Mrinal Das Gupta

Bishwanath Roy

Manik Mitra

Dr. Srinivas Iyengar

Pulak Banerjee

Abani Sinha

Hriday Narayan

Mrityunjoy Mukherjee

Samar Sen

Aniruddha Sarkar

Cristof Pitoёff

Nishit Roy

Amalesh Bhattacharya

Simanta Narayan Chattopadhya

Kanupriya Chatterjee

Ajay Virmani

Sushil Deora

Sudhir Dewan

Dr. Mitra

Nirmalya Roy

Vishwajit Talukdar

Ashish Majumdar

Peter Hees

Ramen Sen Gupta

Mira Sen Gupta

Panu Sarkar

Bono Sarkar

Gama Sarkar

Kalu Sarkar

Debkumar Sarkar

We are especially indebted to Manoj Das, Vijay Poddar, Arabinda Basu, Munindra Nath Sharma and Robert Zwicker for their kind help and co-operation, without which the publication of the book would not have been possible.








  1. From a prayer written on the Mother’s birthday, 21st February 1943[]
  2. Thinking that the police had come to know of the bombs Ullaskar, one of the conspirators, removed a package containing bombs to the house of his friend Nagendranath, who knew nothing about its contents. Later, to save his friend, Ullaskar made a confession, but the police did not release the brothers.[]
  3. …“It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause, for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.” November 19, 1863  Abraham Lincoln[]
  4. Tejen Mukherjee, a member of the Ashram. (Son of Jatindranath Mukherjee[]
  5. The grandson of Bagha Jatin.[]
  6. These episodes, published in several Bengali journals, were written in a couple of note-books which contained other reminiscences as well; the notebooks, lent to a publisher, unfortunately cannot now be traced.[]
  7. Referred to Chapter Six – Part Seven – “I joined the Revolutionaries”.[]
  8. Nolini-da himself has written about this incident in his reminiscences. See Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta, Vol. 7, pp. 371-72.[]
  9. Sudhir used to say with admiration, “Nolini Gupta is not Nolini Gupta he is Gupta Nolini (‘gupta’ means ‘hidden’). You need to look into his eyes to fathom the hidden depths.”[]
  10. Baul – Spiritual minstrel.[]
  11. Editor — S. Kasturirangan Aiyangar, B.A., B.L. Hindu, 44 years. Published at National Press, 19, Wallajah Road, Madras (3130 copies)Madras Newspaper Report, p. 4[]








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