Trigger-point for Alipore Bomb Case
By jailing several members of the Nationalist press and ordering the caning of young Sushil Sen for a tussle with a policeman, magistrate Douglas Kingsford incurred the wrath of the Bengali people. Aware of threats of revenge, the Government transferred him to the remote district of Muzaffarpur, Bihar, in March 1908. But by then, Barin Ghose, with the approval of other revolutionary leaders, had resolved to assassinate him.
For this mission Barin deputed two young men, eighteen-year-old Khudiram Bose and nineteen-year-old Prafulla Chaki, an accomplice in the earlier attempts upon the lives of Sir Bampfylde Fuller and Sir Andrew Fraser. Armed with three revolvers and a small dynamite bomb, they went to Muzaffarpur towards the end of April and observed the judge's activities for a few days. On the evening of the 30th, they stood by a tree near the road across from Kingsford's house and waited for him to return from his club. At 8.30 a horse-drawn carriage approached which they took to be his; in it in fact were two Englishwomen, Mrs. Kennedy and her daughter Grace. Khudiram ran up and hurled the bomb into the carriage. A loud explosion shattered the vehicle and mortally wounded both its occupants. Kingsford, travelling just behind them in a similar carriage, had been saved from death. Unaware of the tragic mishap, the two boys fled from the spot and decided to split up. The police put out a widespread alert, with instructions to arrest any suspicious young Bengalis and offered a reward of Rs. 5000 for information.
After parting with Khudiram, Prafulla Chaki walked all night and part of the next day. In the afternoon he reached Samastipur Junction on the railway line to Calcutta and purchased a ticket for Mokameh Ghat. His appearance attracted the attention of an off-duty police sub-inspector, who wired to his superiors for instructions and then boarded the train with his suspect. At Mokameh Ghat orders came to arrest him. The sub-inspector tried to detain Prafulla, but the muscular lad tore himself free from the policeman's grip and bolted down the railway platform, closely followed by a constable and a plain-clothesman. Prafulla pulled out his revolver and fired at his pursuers, but the shot missed. As the men closed in, Prafulla put the revolver to his own throat, pulled the trigger twice, and died instantly. The police decapitated the young revolutionary, packed his head in spirits, and sent it to Calcutta for identification. A few days later the C.I.D. established the identity of Prafulla Kumar Chaki of Rangpur who had sacrificed his life for the sake of his nation.
[Prafulla] used to say taking a revolver in his hand, "I for one am not going to live on if they get hold of me. I shall neither be tortured by the police nor let their offers of confession tempt me. Look, this is the way I am going to finish myself." He would then open his mouth wide, push in the revolver muzzle and press the trigger with his fingers, adding, "This is the one sure way. In the other methods, one merely wounds oneself, very often with no serious danger to life. But it is much more risky to live on after getting wounded, isn't it?" Prafulla committed suicide after the Muzaffarpur bomb affair in exactly the way he had rehearsed - I should not say "suicide", for it was really an act of martyrdom.
The Fate of Khudiram Bose >>
The terrible repression of the people of Bengal at the hands of the police and ruthless suppression of outlets of public resentment to Government measures forced the movement to go under- ground. The secret political organisatiods that had hitherto come into existence but was in a moribund condition decided upon meeting force with force irrespective ofthe consequences. Removal of brrtally oppressive Government officials, of which there was precedent at Poona (June 22, 1897), was given a high priority in the programme of revolutionary action in Bengal.
Indications were very clear that Indian nationalism had been entering upon a new and portentous phase the ultimate significance of which was at that time very difficult to gauge. It literally started with, (The Statesman: May 4, 1908) "the partition of Bengal, the crowning folly of Lord Curzon's regime" and " different spirit had manifested itself whose weapons are apparently to be bombs and dynamite." Fuel was added to this spirit by the judgments of Kingsford, Chief Presidency Magistrate of Calcutta, from August 1904 to March 1908, inflicting merciless punishments to all who showed signs of patriotism in their action and or in their writings. The Government had been feeling nervous about Kingsford's safety and he was transferred from Calcutta as the District and Sessions Judge of Muzaffarpore on March 28, 1908.
It was decided upon by the leaders that Kingsford must die and for this reason his track should be followed wherever he might go. Two young boys were selected for the purpose and sent to Muzaffarpore with the necessary weapons for the murder of Kingsford.
Commissioned with their task Prafulla Chaki and Khudiram Bose reached Muzaffarpore at the end of the third week of April, 1908 and put up in a room in a Dharamshala. They ran short of funds and took a loan from a local gentleman, an influential employee of a local Zemindar, with whose help, they could also find shelter in the Dharamshala. They received a money order from Calcutta through this gentleman who was later hauled up before the Court for rendering help to these boys.
The two young heroes waited for a week for a suitable opportunity. Kingsford did not move out of his quarters and go anywhere except to the Courts. They once visited the place but desisted from taking any action because of the chance of a large number of innocent lives getting involved.
On April 30, 1908, the two friends reached a place in front of Kingsford's house at about 8 p.m. and kept waiting under a tree for their victim.
While Prafulla and Khudiram had been waiting in ambush Mr. and Mrs. Kingsford and Mrs. and Miss Kennedy h a dbeen playing bridge at the club at about 8-30 p.m. They left for home in two separate open 'carriages both very similar in appearance and each drawn by a single horse. The house of Kingsford was situated very close to the Club and Kennedy's, a mile away.
The vehicle in which Mrs. and Miss Kennedy were seated preceded that of their friend's Victoria by a few seconds. As the first carriage drew level with the first entrance of Kingsford's grounds, Prafulla and Khudiram sprang from the shadow of one of the tall trees that lined the broad thoroughfare separating the residential buildings from the maidan.
At the time they had in their possession three revolvers and one bomb. Evidently if the bomb had failed m its purpose, they would have to take recourse to the use of the revolvers to complete their job.
The psychological moment arrived and Khudiram ran deliberately towards the carriage and poising the bomb in his out-stretched arm above the head threw it with full force at the carriage which he believed to have been carrying Kingsford in its hold. The sound of the explosion startled the town. Both Mrs. and Miss Kennedy and the syce were seriously injured, The carriage was shattered and nothing but the ribs of splintered woodwork was left of the rear portion torn and rent and charred by the explosion. Miss Kennedy died within a few minutes of the explosion, and Mrs. Kennedy a little later.
It was sheer good luck that saved Kingsford from a sure death. Incidentally it may be mentioned that an attempt was made to kill him while he was in his Garden Reach house in Calcutta through a novel bomb pladed inside a book. It was a tin case of picric acid concealed inside the body of the book of 1200 pages, 600 of which had been scooped out to accommodate it. Springs were set in such a manner thaton the cutting of the string with which the book was tied up, the cover would fly open and a detonator of fulminate of mercury would be struck by a nail.
The 'book bomb' was sent to Kingsford and the chaprasi put it on the table of the sahib, who in turn placed it among his other books on the idea that it was returned by some friend who had taken it on loan. The book was hunted up in connection with the case. The spring was rusted but the explosive was found intact.
The two assailants immediately left the place leaving their shoes at the place which indicated that they had been going bare-footed. Thus the shoes supplied a valuable clue to their arrest. There was also found a tin can near the football posts on the maidan. It served as a container of the bomb that was carried to the scene of occurrence. After covering a long distance they parted company one running towards Samastipore and the other in another direction.
An alarm was sent forth to different quarters for the apprehension of the culprits. The District Superintendent of Police sent two Sub-Inspectors down the railway line, one to Bankipore and another to Mokameh with instructions to leave constables at each station along the route and to arrest all suspicious or suspected persons. Among the men thus sent two were despatched to Waini station by train.
From the place of occurrence Prafulla Chaki reached Samastipore, a railway station on the B. & N. W. Railway on May 1, 1908 and took an inter class ticket for Mokameh Ghat. He had in the meantime changed his dress and was at the time wearing new clothes and a new pair of shoes. He attracted the notice of a Sub-Inspector of Police, Nandalal Banerjee, who on the expiry of his leave had taken the train from Muzaffarpore to rejoin his duties at Singhbhum.
The appearance of Prafulla aroused suspicion of the Sub-Inspector who suspected him as having some connection with the outrage at Muzaffarpore of the previous evening. He got into the same compartment with Prafulla and started conversation with him on various matters.
Prafulla got down at Semuriaghat and proceeded towards the Ganges to allay his thirst. He came back but because of his disgust at the other man's inquisitiveness, Prafulla got into another compartment. Alighting at MokamehGhat he purchased another inter class ticket for Howrah.
The Police Officer here tendered apologieg and again became friendly with him. Meanwhile he had telegraphed his suspicions to Muzaffarpore and at Mokameh Ghat received a telegram directing him to arrest the suspected person. On the strength of this message Prafulla was arrested, but because of his great physical fitness he was able to wrench off and dash down the platform pursued by two constables who had by previous intimation been kept there on guard. Almost at the end of the platform after finding that escape was impossible he turned back and fired a shot at the constable nearest to him. The bullet missed and the constable closed up with his victim.
Prafulla somehow managed to release his hand with great effort and fired two shots at himself from his Browning pistol, one of which entered under the chin and the other passing through his left collar bone. Death was instantaneous.
On May 1, 1908, at about 6 p.m. the second martyr in the cause of freedom, the first being Prafulla Chakrabarti, sacrificed his life at the Altar of the Motherland. The Hitakari (June 15, 1908) commented:
"His soul has now flown tu a higher tribunal where kings and beggars, revolutionists and their rulers stand on the same level and no distinction is made of their respective positions in the dispensation of Justice."
The head of Prafulla was severed from his body and was brought down preserved in spirit of wine, to Calcutta, for identification.
Prafulla was a remarkable lad when he joined the revolutionary party. He possessed enormous physical strength and an iron constitution. In this respect he was the best boy in the Rangpur National Institution. During a visit to that district on a secret mission, Barindra Kumar Ghose was very much impressed with Prafulla's qualities of head and heart and his courage marked him out for the first deadly venture that was to strike terror into the heart of every oppressive ruler. It was unfortunate for the country that this attempt misfired and ended in a grim disaster.
Khudiram dashed towards the railway line with the idea of reachitig a station and thence proceed to Calcutta. He reached Waini, a station on B. & N. W. Rly., a distance of twenty-four miles from Muzaffarpore. He was barefooted and quite exhausted due to the strain of the journey of such a long distance without food and drink.
He strolled into the bazar a few yards from the Waini Station and was seen at about 8 a.m. eating a handful of parched rice near a shop. When just going to drink, he was arrested by the police.
He was elaborately questioned by the Police Officer. In reply, apparently evasive, he said that he was on his way tö Bankipore. When it was pointed out to him that in such a case he ought to have alighted at Muzaffarpore and not at Wain, all he could say was that he felt extremely thirsty and got down at Wain to quench his thirst. At the time of his examination he once tried to ship away but he was firmly held and pinioned. He tried to draw a revolver from his coat, carried under his arm, but was prevented from giving effect to his desire.
When arrested Khudiram had in his possession two revolvers, one of which was fully loaded, Rs. 30 in notes and coins, 37 rounds of ammunition, an Indian railway map and cuttings from a local time-table.
The suspect was brought back to Muzaffarpore by the evening train; the station was densely crowded by people anxious to have a look at him.
When he alighted from the train his appearance did not betray the slightest sign of agitation or fear. He was calm and collected and had even a cheerful look, but without any trace of bravado. As he seated himself in the carriage for the police station he shouted Bande Mataram. But for the undaunted look in his eyes, no one could even dream that the slender faint looking lad of 18 or thereabouts to be the performer of an act, the sound of which echoed andre-echoed till it reached the horizon.
In his statement before the District Magistrate he said that he had intended to kill Kingsford as he looked upon the latter as the greatest tyrant in India and that he threw the bomb on the carriage on April 30, in the belief that it had been carrying Kingsford and not two innocent and unfortunate ladies.
The Muzaffarpore Bomb Case was opened on May 21, 1908. The prisoner's non-chalance was remarkable. He did not, as fi seem to realise the ultimate end awaiting him. During the proceedings the accused looked as unmoved as stone and during part of the trial he was seen to dose. He gained two pounds in weight during the undertrial period and he betrayed no emotion whatsoever.
The accused was committed to the Sessions on May 25, and the trial commenced on June 8, 1908. The prisoner pleaded guilty. The case ended on June 13 with a verdict of death. When the Judge addressing the prisoner enquired whether he had understood the implication of the sentence passed on him, he nodded and smiled. His face brightened up: it seemed that he had had nothing to do with it.
On June 11, 1908, he had an informal talk with his lawyer in the course of which he said:
"I am a resident of Midnapore Town and have no father, no mother, brother or uncle, paternal or maternal. I have got a sister, my elder, who has got many children, the eldest being about my age.
I read up to the Second Class. I gave up my study two or three years ago. Since then I began to take active part in the Swadeshi Movement.
I wish to see Midnapore for once and my sister and her children. I have no trouble in my mind.
I am treated fairly well in jail. The food is coarse and quite unsuited to me which has told upon my health. Otherwise I am not ill-treated. I am confined in a lonely cell, where I am kept day and night. I am allowed only once to come out, when I go to bathe. I am tired of being alone."
To a question by the lawyer Khudiram replied that he had no cause of fear. He had read the Gita perfectly well. There was no question of his pleading not guilty as he felt fully conscious of his responsibility in the matter and he was sorry that Kingsford was still alive and that two innocent ladies had been killed instead.
The stoic attitude of Khudiram was not relished by the trying Judge who remarked:
"I am unable to find on the face of it any ground for mitigating the penalty, and I need not prolong the prisoner's agony and suspense, if indeed he feels, as I would leign hope himcapable offeeling by saying one word more.'
An appeal was preferred in the High Court on July 6, 1908. After a short hearing the sentence was conflimed on July 13, 1908.
Khudiram's execution took place on August 11, 1908, punctually at 6 a.m. in the Muzaffarpore Jail.
He walked to the gallows firmly and cheerfully and even smiled when the cap was drawn over the head.
A quiet funeral on the Gandak finished a stormy career that had from adolescence served the Motherland with unflinching devotion unmoved by the frowns of the minions of foreign Government holding India with brute force. (Vide Appendix 'B')
Kingsford did not die but the shock and fear of life were so great that he fell ill and left for Mussoorie with the entire family on May 3. His enthusiam displayed in the trial of political cases in Calcutta left him for good and for all practical purposes he was dead to Indian administration though living in flesh and blood.
The Empire (an evening daily) published the following editorial on August 11, 1908:
"Khudiram Bose was executed this morning.... it is alleged that he mounted the scaffold with his body erect. He was cheerful and smiling.... It is said that when his pleader visited him in the jail the day before the execution, Khudiram told him that he would die as fearlessly as the Rajput women of old did on funeral pyres."
A few among the revolutionists expressed their sorrow at the death of two innocent ladies in the belief that their future efforts might fail by the curse of God. The Yugantor (article reproduced in The Englishman' June 9, 1908) tried to dissipate the nervousness fo such faint-hearted fellows with the following exhortation:
"If any youth aspiring to freedom has really said so, then he has not yet become fit to obtain freedom. Hard-heartedness is necessary to trample the enemy under foot. When during the Treta-yaga, the Rakshasas were perpetrating frightful oppression in the Dandaka forest, Rama extirpated the whole race of the Rakshasas, Lakshman Thakur cut off the nose and ears of Surpanakha, the beautiful sister of Ravana, and then let her go. It is not necessary to give illustrations if in the attempt to destroy the enemy a woman is accidentally killed. Then God have no cause of displeasure like the English. Many a female demon must be killed in the course of time in order to extirpate the race of Asuras from the breast of the earth. There is no sin in this; no mercy; no affection!" (Vide Appendix 'B', p. 169).
A correspondent from Bogra wrote to The Amrita Bacar Patriko on May 30, 1908, on Prafulla Chaki:
... That a boy of such a tender age, meek and docile would come out of such a "sleepy hollow" as Bogra to join a secret brotherhood ..... was beyond our conception.
Born of a quiet, religious family, and the youngest of the five children of the late Rajnarain Chaki of Bear, a village some twenty miles north of Bogra, Prafulla instead of being 'gay as his name indicates, was dedicative and thoughtful from his early boyhood. He was rarely seen at play with his comrades, but would sit alone for hours in a pensive mood.
Although of a somewhat dark complexion his broad forehead, "pencilled" eye-brows and resolute face indicated a strong mind.
He was one of the eighty boys who left the Rangpur Zilla School as a protest against the interfering measures initiated by the Fullerian Government and formed by the stand they made the nucleus of national education in Bengal.
Though his career has been wild and brief, he came of a cultured and well off Family ....
Prafulla took formal leave of his mother more than a year ago; the mysterious words of farewell he uttered were then Greek to the old lady, but are now full of meaning.
Even in his fearful new mission he could not forget his mother, and wrote two letters to her from different places without any postal designation; but assuring her at the same time that her child was not unhappy, in the least and not uncornfomtable in his present situation. Moreover, he informed her that he had espoused the order of 'brahmacharyo', and was making fair progress in his religion, and in the study of his subjects and there was no case of anxiely for him.
All went on smoothly till the beginning of this month, when the whole family were rudely shaken by the news of the tragic end of their beloved. When the cruel news was flashed in the Papers that the head of the deceased lad been severed from his body and preserved in spirits, people were literally stunned with horror.
Verily, we could not make out what the paternal Government would gain by this unseemly act, when photos for identification had already been taken. The dead bodies even of enemies are respected by all civilized nations. The revolting decapitation of the corpse reminds one of the treatment which the Committee of Public Safety, during the French Revolution, meted out to the dead body of Valaze, one of the Girondists who made away with himself with a poniard, just after the sentence of death was passed on him. The President decreed in ghastly words that the warm corpse of Valaze would he carried to the prison, conveyed in the same cart with the accomplices to the scaffold, and interred with them.
I close this imperfect, and hasty sketch with the last words of Prafulla as he stood on the brink of eternity: 'Ha, Ha. You a Bengalee, my countryman, have come to arrest me.'
The 'Bande Mataram', (August 16, 1908, editorial for August 12, 1908) presents before its readers the spiritual side of the action that transcended the fears and misgivings of the flesh:
His last wish was to partake of the 'Prasad of the local deity by way of receiving its blessing. In the prison he was absorbed all day in the study of religious and patriotic literature. He was preparing to die and his conduct on the scaffold. ... shows how complete was the preparation. He has completely falsified the theory that it was an artificial enthusiasm that supplied him with the motive of his action. He all along knew to what extent he was responsible for the crime. But that he was prepared to bear his full share of responsibility cannot in the least be doubted. His ambition was perhaps to die for his country like the Rajput women on the funeral pyres. Beautiful as he was like a fairy nobody could suspect him to be an assassin. During his trial at Muzaffarpore a Beharee gentleman came to scoff but remained to doubt his crime and admire his conduct. But now that he died so fearlessly the assassin is totally merged in the hero. It is not given to every man to overcome the weakness of flesh in this way. People can never forget how the Spirit got the better of the flesh in this young man. We are really reminded of the spiritual strength of yore.
The Roll of Honour > Pg. 160
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