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India@75: Group of revolutionary women who took arms against the British empire

A group of bold women among the Bengal revolutionaries took arms against the British empire. They are Pritilata Vaddedar, Kalpana Dutta, Bina Das, Kalyani Das, Kamala Dasgupta and Suhasini Ganguli.  

A group of bold women among the Bengal revolutionaries took arms against the British empire. They are Pritilata Vaddedar, Kalpana Dutta, Bina Das, Kalyani Das, Kamala Dasgupta and Suhasini Ganguli.  

They were all college mates, comrades and participants in the legendary Chittagong Armoury attack on 18 April 1930. Most of them were students in Kolkatta’s famed Bethune College, India’s first women’s college. They were all attracted to the Bengali revolutionary movement that rose against the Bengal partition. They joined revolutionary parties like the Jugantar and Bhagat Singh’s Indian Republican party. 

Forming the revolutionary girls’ organisation called Chatri Sangha at the Bethune college, trained in arms and guerilla war. Many were sympathisers of the nascent Communist Party. 

It was by 10 in the night on 18 April that various British armouries at Chittagong in present Bangladesh were attacked and taken over by revolutionaries led by Soorya Sen, Ganesh Ghosh and Lokanath Bal. Two days later, the revolutionaries and the British army clashed in the Jalalabad hills. Many, including 12 revolutionaries, were killed in the fierce battle. 

A bunch of bold young girls resolved to avenge the death of revolutionaries at Jalalabad. On 24 September 1932, the European Club at Pahartali was attacked by revolutionaries led by the 21-year-old Pritilata Vadeddar. The club was infamous for its board: “Indians and Dogs Not Allowed”. 

Wearing a man’s dress and armed with a gun, Pritilata had many killed but finally was shot in her leg. When she was unable to move and was to be ca[ptured by the British, Pritilata swallowed a cyanide pill and became a martyr. 

Kalpana Datta was Pritilata’s comrade at Bethune college and Chhatri Sangha. A participant in the plans for the Pahartala attack, Kalpana, was arrested a week earlier. Once released she helped Soorya Sen to find asylum. 

When Soorya was arrested, Kalpana narrowly escaped, only to be caught again later. She later joined the Communist Party and married P C Joshi, the general secretary of CPI. Suhasini Ganguli was another participant in the Chittagong attack. She, too, was a student at Bethune College and a member of the Chhatri Sangha and Jugantar. She, too, suffered many years in jail and later joined the CPI. 

Two sisters in the Chhatri Sangha at Bethune College who got arms training from revolutionaries were Bina Das and Kalyani Das. They were the daughters of Subhash Chandra Bose’s teacher. 

Bina created history in 1932 when she fired a bullet at Bengal Governor Stanley Jackson during the convocation ceremony at Kolkata University. Jackson escaped unhurt, but Bina was arrested. She spent nine years in jail when she suffered fierce police torture. Both Bina and Kalyani joined the Congress party later. Kamala Dasgupta was another woman revolutionary who brought the revolver with which Bina shot at Jackson.