Remembering this teenager, who thought beyond the cliched thoughts attached to that age and mindset and attained martyrdom on this day - August 11, 1908
Khudiram Bose rose above us all at the age of 19. He fought till his last breath and gave his all to Free his mother from the evil plunderers.
Birth
On 3rd Dec 1889 in Habibpur(Medinipur, Bengal), Laxmipriya Devi and Troilokyanath Bose were blessed with a baby boy. They were ecstatic and named him Khudiram Bose. Unfortunately, they did not live long enough to enjoy their happiness. Khudiram was orphaned at the age of 6. His elder sister Anurupadevi and his brother-in-law Amritalal took the responsibility of bringing him up. He moved in with them to Tamlook where he was admitted to Hamilton school.
They looked after him with great love and affection. At the tender age of 7, he realized the sufferings of Indians under British rule. He could feel his mother land shuddering at every Indian's death by British hands. He was always lost in the thought of freeing the mother land. This worried his sister and brother-in-law, who thought Khudiram was missing his parents, where infact he was troubled with much bigger thoughts.
He came in contact with Satyendranath and Gyanendranath Bose, who headed a secret society to campaign and fight against British supremacy, during his school days. They inspired him deeply.
In February 1906, a grand exhibition was arranged at Medinipur. The exhibition was to create an impression of how the British were helping Indians and to mislead the public by obscuring the injustice & atrocities in India. The exhibition had lot of articles, pictures and puppets, which attracted huge crowd.
Khudiram took the task of distributing pamphlets with title 'Sonar Bangla' in this exhibition. The pamphlet had slogans like ‘Vande Mataram' and the true purpose of the exhibition was also exposed. Few of the British loyalists noted him in this act and tried to stop him from distributing the revolutionary materials. They tried threatening him, abusing him, but he calmly continued his task and when they tried to capture him, he made an escape. But a policeman caught him and took all the pamphlets. Khudiram was furious. He jerked his hand free and hit the policeman on face. He snatched the pamphlets and warned the policeman, “Don't dare to touch me ! Let me see how you arrest me without a warrant". Before the policeman could gather his bearings, Khudiram was long gone leaving the crowds cheering "Vande Mataram"!
In the following years, Khudiram joined the revolutionaries. He admired the revolutionaries and was highly inspired by their patriotism. With the initiation into the Indian Freedom Movement, his formal education ended.
Vande Mataram - as a slogan, was banned by the British. The same ban was put on Bipin Chandra Pal's newspaper "Vande Mataram" too. The paper published articles that were aimed at inculcating patriotism and righteousness in nation's youth along with exposing & condemning British injustices. The paper was charged on the grounds of Treason and was tried in the court. All through the trial, everyday, many people gathered around the court to support the paper shouting "Vande Mataram". Everyday the policemen charged on the innocent civilians with no apparent provocation.
On one such occasion, when a policeman was beating up a fellow Indian, a 15year old boy could not watch it anymore and he jumped in. He hit the policeman till he bled. This boy was Sushilkumar Sen. After this incident, the boy was arrested and tried in the court. When the judge - Kingsford accused him of hitting the policeman, the boy fearlessly questioned why the peaceful people were attacked by the police. This enraged the judge and he ordered Sushilkumar to be punished with 15 lashes. So a boy of 15 was beaten legally by sturdy policemen. He smiled through every stroke and kept saying "Vande Mataram".
When the boy came out of jail he was weak and hurt but he did not regret his actions one bit. He was taken home with a procession by proud people. The judge who sentenced Sushilkumar to the inhuman lashes had been cruel to many patriots prior to this incident. To stop him from continuing this sadistic practice, the revolutionaries decided to teach him a lesson. By this time, Kingsford, with his anti-indian mentality managed to get himself promoted as the District & Sessions Judge in Muzzafarpur, where he continued the same cruel rulings against Indian patriots.
So the revolutionary group decided to kill Kingsford. A meeting was held at a house in Calcutta which was attended by Aravinda Ghosh, Subodh Mallik, Charudatta and others. It was decided that Kingsford should be shot dead. Now the leader had to choose a person to carry out the task impeccably. Many were eager to do it but the leader had to make a very important choice. He noticed Khudiram sitting in a corner. The leader's eyes seemed to ask 'Can you do this?' Khudiram understood it. There was a glow in his eyes.
"Can you do this grim work?" The leader now openly asked him.
"With your blessings, what is impossible?" Khudiram answered him with a question.
"This is not so easy as going to jail. Do you know what will happen, if you are caught?" The leader asked him in a tone of warning.
Khudiram said calmly but firmly, "I know. At the worst they can hang me. Master, I take it as a boon. Bharat Mata is my father, mother and everything. To give up my life for her is, I consider, an act of merit. My sole desire is only this. Till our country wins freedom, I will be born here again and again, and sacrifice my life."
"Is that so? I am very glad. Get ready for the journey. Profulla Chaki will go with you," the leader said.
Profullakumar Chaki was quite sturdy and was of about the same age as Khudiram. He was a native of Rangapur of East Bengal. At the time of the partition of Bengal, he had walked out of school with eighty boys, all shouting Vande Mataram'!
Khudiram and Profulla set out full of zest to end the life of Kingsford.
The Mission
On April 30 of 1908, Khudiram and Profulla reached the European Club at Muzaffarpur. They hid there with a revolver and a bomb readily waiting for Kingsford to come out.
Shortly, a carriage came out from the compound of Kingsford's bungalow. The bomb was in Khudiram's hand. He whispered to Profulla, "Run away soon after I throw the bomb. Don't worry about me. In case I survive, I shall touch the feet of our revered teacher. Be ready to run. Vande Mataram!"
When the carriage neared Khudiram, he aimed at it and threw the bomb inside.
This was the first bomb ever thrown on a Britisher by an Indian in India!
As the bomb exploded, Khudiram and Profulla ran away in different directions.
Unfortunately, Kingsford was not in the carriage!
This attracted people's attention. They noticed his utter fatigue. The shopkeeper's suspicion grew stronger and with greed for reward from the police, he informed them about Khudiram. Thus Khudiram was caught.
Profullakumar Chaki, evaded the police for two days. But on the third day the police surrounded him. Profulla had vowed that he shall not let the police take him alive. When there was no way to escape he took out his pistol and he shot himself . The police cut off his head and carried it to Muzaffarpur.
Khudiram was brought by train to Muzaffarpur. People assembled in thousands to see the boy who had thrown a bomb for the first time in India against the British. As soon as Khudiram got into the carriage to go to the police station, he shouted with a smile, 'Vande Mataram'!
Tears of pride welled up in every pair of eyes watching him at the station.
A case was filed against Khudiram. There were two lawyers on the Government's side. There was no one at Muzaffarpur, whom Khudiram could call his own. Then a senior advocate Kalidas Bose came forward to argue on his behalf.
The trial was just a pretense which ran along for two months. In the end, the Magistrate read his judgment sentencing Khudiram to death. Khudiram did not show even a faint trace of fear. The judge was surprised that a boy of nineteen years accepted death so calmly. The judge asked "Do you know what this judgment means?"
Khudiram replied with a smile "I know its meaning better than you."
The judge asked, "Have you anything to say?"
"Yes. I have to explain a few things about making bombs."
The judge did not allow the boy to make a statement.
Khudiram had not expected justice in a British court. But Kalidas Bose kept on trying to save the boy. He appealed to the Calcutta High Court, which confirmed the death sentence given by the lower court. But the execution date was postponed from August 6, 1908 to August 11th.
"Do you wish to say anything?" the Calcutta High Court Judge asked Khudiram.
Khudiram said, "Like the heroic Rajput women, I wish to die for the freedom of my country. The thought of the gallows does not make me unhappy in the least. My only regret is that Kingsford could not be punished for his crimes."
Khudiram walked to the gallows at 6 A. M. on the 11th of August, 1908. He held a copy of the Bhagavad-Gita (the Song Divine). For the very last time he cried aloud, 'Vande Mataram' and then put his hand into the noose.
Khudiram had finally achieved his heroic goal; he had laid his life at the feet of Mother India. He is immortal in the history of India.
Khudiram's sacrifice affected Kingsford. He lost his peace of mind. He saw his each moment as death. At last, he was so terrified that he resigned his post and settled at Mussorie where he eventually died of fear as documented.
Where one Khudiram forced one Kingsford out, many more were inspired by him and finally forced the British out of our Nation.
Lets salute this great son and show our respects to him on his death anniversary.
JAI HIND
Khudiram Bose rose above us all at the age of 19. He fought till his last breath and gave his all to Free his mother from the evil plunderers.
Birth
On 3rd Dec 1889 in Habibpur(Medinipur, Bengal), Laxmipriya Devi and Troilokyanath Bose were blessed with a baby boy. They were ecstatic and named him Khudiram Bose. Unfortunately, they did not live long enough to enjoy their happiness. Khudiram was orphaned at the age of 6. His elder sister Anurupadevi and his brother-in-law Amritalal took the responsibility of bringing him up. He moved in with them to Tamlook where he was admitted to Hamilton school.
They looked after him with great love and affection. At the tender age of 7, he realized the sufferings of Indians under British rule. He could feel his mother land shuddering at every Indian's death by British hands. He was always lost in the thought of freeing the mother land. This worried his sister and brother-in-law, who thought Khudiram was missing his parents, where infact he was troubled with much bigger thoughts.
He came in contact with Satyendranath and Gyanendranath Bose, who headed a secret society to campaign and fight against British supremacy, during his school days. They inspired him deeply.
In February 1906, a grand exhibition was arranged at Medinipur. The exhibition was to create an impression of how the British were helping Indians and to mislead the public by obscuring the injustice & atrocities in India. The exhibition had lot of articles, pictures and puppets, which attracted huge crowd.
Khudiram took the task of distributing pamphlets with title 'Sonar Bangla' in this exhibition. The pamphlet had slogans like ‘Vande Mataram' and the true purpose of the exhibition was also exposed. Few of the British loyalists noted him in this act and tried to stop him from distributing the revolutionary materials. They tried threatening him, abusing him, but he calmly continued his task and when they tried to capture him, he made an escape. But a policeman caught him and took all the pamphlets. Khudiram was furious. He jerked his hand free and hit the policeman on face. He snatched the pamphlets and warned the policeman, “Don't dare to touch me ! Let me see how you arrest me without a warrant". Before the policeman could gather his bearings, Khudiram was long gone leaving the crowds cheering "Vande Mataram"!
In the following years, Khudiram joined the revolutionaries. He admired the revolutionaries and was highly inspired by their patriotism. With the initiation into the Indian Freedom Movement, his formal education ended.
Vande Mataram - as a slogan, was banned by the British. The same ban was put on Bipin Chandra Pal's newspaper "Vande Mataram" too. The paper published articles that were aimed at inculcating patriotism and righteousness in nation's youth along with exposing & condemning British injustices. The paper was charged on the grounds of Treason and was tried in the court. All through the trial, everyday, many people gathered around the court to support the paper shouting "Vande Mataram". Everyday the policemen charged on the innocent civilians with no apparent provocation.
On one such occasion, when a policeman was beating up a fellow Indian, a 15year old boy could not watch it anymore and he jumped in. He hit the policeman till he bled. This boy was Sushilkumar Sen. After this incident, the boy was arrested and tried in the court. When the judge - Kingsford accused him of hitting the policeman, the boy fearlessly questioned why the peaceful people were attacked by the police. This enraged the judge and he ordered Sushilkumar to be punished with 15 lashes. So a boy of 15 was beaten legally by sturdy policemen. He smiled through every stroke and kept saying "Vande Mataram".
When the boy came out of jail he was weak and hurt but he did not regret his actions one bit. He was taken home with a procession by proud people. The judge who sentenced Sushilkumar to the inhuman lashes had been cruel to many patriots prior to this incident. To stop him from continuing this sadistic practice, the revolutionaries decided to teach him a lesson. By this time, Kingsford, with his anti-indian mentality managed to get himself promoted as the District & Sessions Judge in Muzzafarpur, where he continued the same cruel rulings against Indian patriots.
So the revolutionary group decided to kill Kingsford. A meeting was held at a house in Calcutta which was attended by Aravinda Ghosh, Subodh Mallik, Charudatta and others. It was decided that Kingsford should be shot dead. Now the leader had to choose a person to carry out the task impeccably. Many were eager to do it but the leader had to make a very important choice. He noticed Khudiram sitting in a corner. The leader's eyes seemed to ask 'Can you do this?' Khudiram understood it. There was a glow in his eyes.
"Can you do this grim work?" The leader now openly asked him.
"With your blessings, what is impossible?" Khudiram answered him with a question.
"This is not so easy as going to jail. Do you know what will happen, if you are caught?" The leader asked him in a tone of warning.
Khudiram said calmly but firmly, "I know. At the worst they can hang me. Master, I take it as a boon. Bharat Mata is my father, mother and everything. To give up my life for her is, I consider, an act of merit. My sole desire is only this. Till our country wins freedom, I will be born here again and again, and sacrifice my life."
"Is that so? I am very glad. Get ready for the journey. Profulla Chaki will go with you," the leader said.
Profullakumar Chaki was quite sturdy and was of about the same age as Khudiram. He was a native of Rangapur of East Bengal. At the time of the partition of Bengal, he had walked out of school with eighty boys, all shouting Vande Mataram'!
Khudiram and Profulla set out full of zest to end the life of Kingsford.
The Mission
On April 30 of 1908, Khudiram and Profulla reached the European Club at Muzaffarpur. They hid there with a revolver and a bomb readily waiting for Kingsford to come out.
Shortly, a carriage came out from the compound of Kingsford's bungalow. The bomb was in Khudiram's hand. He whispered to Profulla, "Run away soon after I throw the bomb. Don't worry about me. In case I survive, I shall touch the feet of our revered teacher. Be ready to run. Vande Mataram!"
When the carriage neared Khudiram, he aimed at it and threw the bomb inside.
This was the first bomb ever thrown on a Britisher by an Indian in India!
As the bomb exploded, Khudiram and Profulla ran away in different directions.
Unfortunately, Kingsford was not in the carriage!
Capture
Khudiram ran all through the night along the railway line without stopping. He had to stop in the morning as he was quite exhausted and unbearably hungry. He bought some fried corn from a small shop and started eating. By then, the news of the Muzaffarpur incident had spread. At the very shop where Khudiram was eating, people were talking about it. Khudiram listened with curiosity. He heard that two women died in the incident. He forgot his bearings for a moment and asked, "What! Didn't Kingsford die?"This attracted people's attention. They noticed his utter fatigue. The shopkeeper's suspicion grew stronger and with greed for reward from the police, he informed them about Khudiram. Thus Khudiram was caught.
Profullakumar Chaki, evaded the police for two days. But on the third day the police surrounded him. Profulla had vowed that he shall not let the police take him alive. When there was no way to escape he took out his pistol and he shot himself . The police cut off his head and carried it to Muzaffarpur.
Khudiram was brought by train to Muzaffarpur. People assembled in thousands to see the boy who had thrown a bomb for the first time in India against the British. As soon as Khudiram got into the carriage to go to the police station, he shouted with a smile, 'Vande Mataram'!
Tears of pride welled up in every pair of eyes watching him at the station.
A case was filed against Khudiram. There were two lawyers on the Government's side. There was no one at Muzaffarpur, whom Khudiram could call his own. Then a senior advocate Kalidas Bose came forward to argue on his behalf.
The trial was just a pretense which ran along for two months. In the end, the Magistrate read his judgment sentencing Khudiram to death. Khudiram did not show even a faint trace of fear. The judge was surprised that a boy of nineteen years accepted death so calmly. The judge asked "Do you know what this judgment means?"
Khudiram replied with a smile "I know its meaning better than you."
The judge asked, "Have you anything to say?"
"Yes. I have to explain a few things about making bombs."
The judge did not allow the boy to make a statement.
Khudiram had not expected justice in a British court. But Kalidas Bose kept on trying to save the boy. He appealed to the Calcutta High Court, which confirmed the death sentence given by the lower court. But the execution date was postponed from August 6, 1908 to August 11th.
"Do you wish to say anything?" the Calcutta High Court Judge asked Khudiram.
Khudiram said, "Like the heroic Rajput women, I wish to die for the freedom of my country. The thought of the gallows does not make me unhappy in the least. My only regret is that Kingsford could not be punished for his crimes."
Khudiram walked to the gallows at 6 A. M. on the 11th of August, 1908. He held a copy of the Bhagavad-Gita (the Song Divine). For the very last time he cried aloud, 'Vande Mataram' and then put his hand into the noose.
Khudiram had finally achieved his heroic goal; he had laid his life at the feet of Mother India. He is immortal in the history of India.
Khudiram's sacrifice affected Kingsford. He lost his peace of mind. He saw his each moment as death. At last, he was so terrified that he resigned his post and settled at Mussorie where he eventually died of fear as documented.
Where one Khudiram forced one Kingsford out, many more were inspired by him and finally forced the British out of our Nation.
Lets salute this great son and show our respects to him on his death anniversary.
JAI HIND
Gud Job Harini
ReplyDeleteNice one...
ReplyDeleteWhat a great patriotic soul his was..! I bow my head all through my life time to you khudiram bose..
ReplyDeleteVande Mataram..!