Khudiram Bose, A Revolutionary Freedom Fighter of Indo-Pak opposed British rule. Executed at 18, he’s one of the youngest martyrs of the Inddo-pak independence Movement.
Born 3 December 1889
Midnapore, Bengal Presidency, British India
(now Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India)
Died 11 August 1908 (aged 18)
Mozufferpore, Bengal Presidency, British India
(now Bihar, India)
Cause of death Execution by hanging
Occupation Freedom fighter
Organization Jugantar
Known for Role in Indian freedom struggle
Movement Indian independence movement
About Khudiram Bose:
Khudiram Bose (also spelled Khudiram/Khudiram Basu) (December 3, 1889 – August 11, 1908) was an Indian nationalist from the Bengal Presidency who opposed British rule in India. For his role in the Muzaffarpur conspiracy incident, he was sentenced to death along with Prafulla Chakhi and subsequently executed, making him one of the youngest martyrs of the Indian independence movement.
Khudiram, along with Prafulla Chaki, attempted to assassinate a British judge, Justice Douglas Kingsford, by throwing a bomb at a carriage believed to be in which he was riding. However, Magistrate Kingsford was in another vehicle and a bomb was thrown, killing two British women. Prafulla shot himself before he could be arrested. Khudiram was arrested, tried, and ultimately sentenced to death for the murders of the two women. He was one of the first Indian revolutionaries to be executed by British forces in Bengal. At the time of his execution in
,Khudiram became the second youngest revolutionary in India, at his age of 18 years, 8 months and his 11 days and 10 hours. However, Mahatma Gandhi condemned the violence and lamented the death of two innocent women. Bal Gangadhar Tilak, in his newspaper Kesari, defended the two young men and called for Swaraj’s immediate release, declaring, “The people of India cannot achieve freedom in this way.” demanded. Following this, Tilak was immediately arrested on charges of sedition by the British colonial government.
Early Life
Khudiram Bose was born on December 3, 1889 into a Bengali Kayastha family in Mohobani, a small village under Keshpur police station in the undivided Medinipur district of Bengal. His father was the tehsildar of Nerahor.
Khudiram was his fourth child in his three daughter family. His parents, Trilokianath Bose and Laxmipriya Devi, had two sons before Khudiram was born, but both died young. In accordance with the traditional customs prevalent in this culture, a newborn child is given a gift in exchange for three handfuls of food grains, locally known as kud, to save him from an early death. It was sold to my eldest sister. This is how he got the name Khudiram.
He lost his mother when he was 6 years old. His father died a year later. His sister Aparpa Roy took him to her home in Haggachha village under Daspur police station. Anurpadevi’s husband, Amritalal Roy, enrolled him in Hamilton High School in Tamluk.[10]
In 1902 and his 1903, Sri Aurobindo and Sister Nivedita visited Midnapore. They held a series of public lectures and private meetings with existing revolutionary groups seeking freedom. As a teenager, Khudiram actively participated in discussions about the revolution.
Apparently he joined the Anushilan Samiti and came into contact with Balindra Kumar Ghosh’s network in Calcutta. At the age of 15, he volunteered and was arrested in India for distributing leaflets against British rule. At the young age of 16, Khudiram took part in a bomb attack targeting government officials near a police station.
Kingsford assassination attempts
First Attempt
The first attempt to kill Kingsford came in the form of a book bomb manufactured by Hemchandra Kanungo, a revolutionary who had learned bomb-making techniques in Europe. An empty Cadbury Cocoa tin was filled with one pound of picric acid and three detonators. It was packed into a hollowed-out section of Herbert Bloom’s Common Law Commentary and delivered to Kingsford’s home wrapped in brown paper by the young revolutionary Paresh Mallick.
Mr. Kingsford placed the unopened package on a shelf to examine later. Concerned for the safety of judges, he was promoted to district judge in March 1908 and transferred by the government to Muzaffarpur, Bihar. Along with him, furniture, a study and a book bomb were also taken away.
Muzaffarpur Reconnaissance
Anushilan Samiti continues its attempt to kill Kingsford. In April, a two-man reconnaissance team, including Prafulla Chaki, visited Muzaffarpur. Upon his return, Hemchandra provided a bomb consisting of six ounces of dynamite, a detonator, and a black powder detonator. Prafulla Chaki returned to Muzaffarpur with a new boy, Khudiram Bose.
Police Suspicion
The activities of Aurobindo Ghosh, Balindra Ghosh and their associates aroused suspicion. Calcutta police became aware of Kingsford’s plans for life. Commissioner FL. Halliday’s warning to the Commissioner of Police in Muzaffarpur was ignored. However, four men were assigned to guard the magistrate’s house. Meanwhile, Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki took the names Haren Sarkar and Dinesh Chandra Roy respectively and settled in a charity inn (Dharamshala) run by Kishorimohan Bandyopadhyay.
Over the next few days, the two monitored the target’s activities and daily life. The two revolutionaries managed to hide their true identities for more than three weeks. CID officials from Calcutta returned with a letter from Superintendent Armstrong of Muzaffarpur stating that the two men had not arrived.
On the night of April 29th, Khudiram and Prafulla were there to carry out their plan. They pretended to be schoolboys and looked out over Muzaffarpur Park, opposite the British Club, which Kingsford frequented. They were noticed by a police officer.
Assassination Attempt in Muzaffarpur
One fateful day, Mr. and Mrs. Kingsford were mediating with the daughter and wife of British lawyer Pringle Kennedy. They decided to go home around 8:30 p.m. Kingsford and his wife were seated in the same carriage that carried Kennedy and his family. When the carriage arrived at the east gate of the Europa Club grounds, Khudiram and Prafulla ran towards it and threw a bomb into it. There was a loud explosion and the carriage was taken to Kingsford’s house. The carriage was badly damaged and the Kennedy women were seriously injured. Mr. Kennedy died within an hour, and Mrs. Kennedy died from her severe injuries on May 2.
Escape
Khudiram and Prafulla chose their own path to avoid capture. In the morning, Khudiram walked 40 miles to a station called Waini. When he asked for a glass of water at a tea shop, he was confronted by two armed policemen, Fateh Singh and Sheo Parshad Singh, who saw his dusty feet and exhausted, sweaty figure. , I immediately suspected something.
After some questioning their suspicions grew and they decided to arrest Khudiram. Khudiram began fighting the two men, but one of his two concealed pistols fell out. Before Khudiram opened fire on the other officers, one of them hugged him from behind. Khudiram, who was much younger and slimmer, was no longer able to defend himself or escape.
He was found with 37 bullets, 30 rupees in cash, a train ticket and a train timetable page. Khudiram’s fate was decided forever. Waini station is now known as Khudiram Bose Pusa station.
On the other hand, Prafulla spent a long and difficult time. Around noon, a citizen named Trignacharan Ghosh noticed a young man walking towards him. He knows about the bomb explosion and realizes that Prafulla is another revolutionary. Ghosh decides to save his life and let him bathe, eat and rest at home. He arranged for Prafulla to return to Calcutta that night.
From Samastipur he took a train to Mokamaghat and continued his journey by train to Howrah. Sub-Inspector Nandalal Banerjee of the Indian Imperial Police was also in the room. He strikes up a conversation and realizes that Prafulla is another revolutionary. When Prafulla arrived at Shipwright station to drink water, Banerjee sent a telegram to Muzaffarpur police station.
Banerjee tried to arrest Prafulla at Mokamagat railway station. Prafulla tried to fight him off with his revolver, but ended up shooting his last bullet into his mouth.
On May 1, Khudiram was taken to Muzaffarpur in handcuffs. The whole city flocked to the police station to get a glimpse of the teenager, who was surrounded by a team of armed police officers. Mr Khudiram was taken to the home of District Judge Mr Woodman. The British daily The Statesman wrote the next day, May 2, 1908
The station was crowded to see the boy. He was a little boy, 18 or 19 years old, and he seemed quite determined. He came out of the first class compartment and, like a happy, fearless boy, walked all the way to the Phaeton, which was waiting outside. When he took his seat, the boy cheerfully shouted “Vandemataram”.
Khudiram had to make a statement or statement to the judge. He took full responsibility for the assassination, not knowing that Prafula was dead. Prafulla’s body reached Muzaffarpur only after Khudiram had finished giving his statement.
Khudiram realized that there was no point in lying. He identified Prafula’s body and the British also obtained details of the encounter with Sub-Inspector Banerjee. Instead of believing Mr. Khudiram, the British colonial authorities thought it more appropriate to separate Mr. Prafulla’s head from the body and send it to Calcutta for more precise identification.
First Trial
His historic trial began on May 21, 1908, with Judge Kondorf as the presiding judge and Natuni Prasad and Janak Prasad as the jurors. Besides Khudiram, two other people were put on trial for supporting the revolutionaries’ mission. Mritiunjay Chakraborty and Kishorimohan Bandopadhyay, who hosted Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chakhi at the Dharmashala for the mission. Mritinjay died during the trial, and Kishorimohan’s trial was subsequently separated from Khudiram’s.
Manam and Vinod Bihari Majumdar were public prosecutors in the British colonial government. Lawyers Kalidas Basu, Upendranath Sen and Kshetranath Bandopadhyay took over the defense of Mr Khudiram. Later in the trial, Kulkamal Sen, Nagendra Lal Lahiri and Satichandra Chakraborty joined the case, all of whom fought the case pro bono.
On May 23, Khudiram again submitted his statement to Judge E.W. Mr. Breadhoud denied any involvement or responsibility for his role in any aspect or phase of the mission and overall operation leading up to the bombing. Khudiram was initially reluctant to sign the statement, but was persuaded by his lawyer to do so.
On June 13, the scheduled date for the verdict and sentence, the judges and prosecutors received an anonymous warning letter informing them that another bomb from Calcutta was on the way and more to come. It will be Biharis, not Bengalis, who will kill them.
On the other hand, the letter suggests that there may be a mastermind or perpetrator of the Muzaffarpur bombings other than Khudiram, and that Khudiram’s age should be taken into consideration to guide
Khudiram’s immediate and spontaneous reaction was to smile. The surprised judge asked Khudiram if he understood the meaning of the announced verdict. Khudiram replied that it was indeed so. When the judge asked him again in front of the packed audience if he had anything to say, Khudiram replied with the same smile that if he had time, he could teach the judge bomb-making techniques. At that point, the judge ordered police to escort the boy from the courtroom.
According to the legal system, Mr. Khudiram had seven days to appeal to the Supreme Court. Mr Khudiram rejected his appeal. However, as a result of persuasion from his advisers, if he is sentenced to life imprisonment rather than hanging on this appeal, he will still be alive and serve the country after his release, and in this case age will be on his side. That was the logic. would – Kudiram eventually pretty much agreed to join the defense team.
Second Hearing
Hearing in the Supreme Court was held on July 8, 1908. Narendrakumar Basu came to Khudiram’s defense and combined all his legal skills and experience in this case to save the boy who overnight became a miracle and a hero for the entire country. He challenged the Sessions Court’s decision, saying the assessment was not in accordance with the law and was erroneous.
He said that according to Article 164 of the Penal Code, a defendant is obliged to make a statement before a first-class judge, but that was not the case with Mr. Woodman, and furthermore, that Mr. I reasoned that it wasn’t. We talked about everything about the person’s identity and position.
Second, Mr. Basu argued that section 364 requires that all questions asked of the accused be in his or her native language, and that all answers given by the accused in his or her native language must be documented verbatim in that language. He pointed out that it requires what must be done. English for Khudiram.
Furthermore, Mr. Khudiram’s signature on the declaration had to be done in the presence of a judge on the day the declaration was made, whereas in reality Mr. Khudiram signed the declaration the next day in the presence of another judge, who is an additional judge. I had to sign it in person. . Finally, since such a statement must by definition be completely voluntary, and the judge was satisfied that this was the case, it is clear that after his arrest, Khudiram made a voluntary statement without any direct or indirect manipulation. There was no evidence that he was allowed to make a statement.
Finally, Narendrakumar Basu said that Prafulla’s alias ‘Dinesh’ (the name used in the trial) was stronger than Khudiram and was the bomb expert between the two. Therefore, there is a high possibility that it was ‘Dinesh’ who actually dropped the bomb. Furthermore, Prafulla’s suicide shortly before his arrest only increases the possibility that he was actually the one who dropped the bomb.
Judgement
It was believed that all the legal arguments raised by Narendrakumar Basu were technically correct, so it was hoped that at least Khudiram would be saved in the interest of the law, of which the British were infinitely proud. But on a historic day, a British judge upheld the conviction and sentence and dismissed the appeal.
Execution
On August 11th, before the scheduled time of 6am, an ever-growing crowd filled the area around the prison. People carrying wreaths filled the front rows of the crowd. Upendranath Sen, a lawyer and reporter for the Bengali daily Bengali who is close to Mr. Khudiram, said that Mr. Khudiram arrived at the venue at 5 a.m. in a car with all the necessary arrangements and clothes for the funeral.
After the execution, the funeral procession moved through the city, with police guards stopping the crowd along the main artery. As the carriage passed, people continued to throw flowers at the body.
Amrita Bazaar Patrika, one of the most important daily newspapers of the time, reported the execution the next day, August 12th. Under the heading “Khudiram’s last moments: He died happy and smiling,” the newspaper wrote
“Khudiram’s execution took place at 6 o’clock this morning.” He walked steadily and cheerfully to the gallows, even smiling when the hat was pulled over his head. ”
The Empire, a long-established Anglo-Indian newspaper, wrote:
“It is said that Khudiram Bose was executed this morning…with the body erect and the framework installed.
The Marathi nationalist newspaper Kesari wrote on May 26, 1908, “Neither the Jubilee murders of 1897 nor the reported manipulation of the Sikh regiments caused much excitement, and the British Public opinion said, “Consider the birth of the atomic bomb in India the most extraordinary event since the mutiny of 1857.”
Bengali poet Qazi Nazrul Islam wrote a poem in his honour.
After his martyrdom, Khudiram became so popular that Bengali weavers started weaving a special type of dhoti with ‘Khudiram’ written on the side. Boys studying in school colleges wore these dhotis, stitched them and walked on the path of independence.
Statement of Khudiram Bose
Khudiram gave a statement (updated) during his arrest, which was recorded by a special branch of the police before he was hanged. ..A change happened to me when I joined Midnapore University. ”
Legacy
- Khudiram Bose Central College – established in 1965 as an undergraduate college in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It offers only courses in arts and commerce. It is affiliated with the University of Calcutta.
Shahid Khudiram Station – a metro railway station near Garia in Kolkata.
Shahid Khudiram Bose Hospital – a hospital on BT Road near Municipality park.
Khudiram Bose Memorial Central Jail – the Muzaffarpur Jail, where the freedom fighter was incarcerated and hanged on 11 August 1908, was renamed.
Sahid Khudiram Siksha Prangan – a university campus for postgraduate studies of University of Calcutta, Kolkata. It is also known as Alipore Campus.
Khudiram Anushilan Kendra – located adjacent to the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Indoor Stadium in Kolkata.
Khudiram Bose Pusa railway stationFilms
Over the years, Khudiram Bose and his journey have been represented in several fill.
- Main Khudiram Bose Hun (2017 film)
Kudhiram Bose (2022 film)
Read More “Ullaskar Datta”
Read More “Mandela”
ভারতবর্ষের স্বাধীনতার ইতিহাসে স্বর্ণাক্ষরে লেখা নাম ক্ষুদিরাম বসু, ভারতবর্ষের স্বাধীনতার জন্য যিনি জীবন উৎসর্গ করেছেন এবং তাঁর দেখানো পথেই চট্টলাবীর মাষ্টার দা সূর্য সেন, প্রীতিলতা ওয়াদ্দেদারসহ আরো অনেকে ইংরেজদের বিরুদ্ধে সংগ্রাম করে জীবন উৎসর্গ করেছেন, তাদের সকলের প্রতি বিনম্র শ্রদ্ধা।
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