Participant/ Presenter’s Name – Saarvoshini.

Address – No. 10, Vallalar Street, Anandapuram, East Tambaram, Chennai – 600059

Email ID – saarvoshini02@gmail.com

Mobile No – 9994093337

ABSTRACT

There were various methods and techniques utilised by all nationalists to liberate India from
the yoke of British rule. Among them, revolutionary activists showcased the power and
valour of Indians which were spectacular. Though there were notable revolutionary groups
involved in conspiracy cases such as Alipore Bomb Case and series of cases between 1924 –
1929, Bhagat Singh and his radical strand of nationalism reached apex glory and popularity.
From this time on, women entered the arena of revolutionary activism with Kalpana Dutt as
pioneer. While Bhagat Singh represented young men who devoted themselves to the country,
Kalpana Dutt represented the young women who defied the existing patriarchal set up and
took to arms for the liberation of motherland along with Surya Sen in Chittagong Armoury
Raid in 1930. This work is aimed to threw light on Pritilata Waddedar, the lesser known
“First Women Martyr of Bengal” who played a vital role in Chittagong Armoury Raids
besides Kalpana Dutt. Thus, they both became the cult among revolutionaries who instigated
common women by breaking the ice towards the freedom struggle.

THE SAGA OF PRITILATA WADDEDAR – THE UNSUNG HEROINE

OF REVOLUTIONARY NATIONALISM

Introduction:

Revolutionary nationalism marks an important chapter in the history of Indian national

movement. The main reason for the rise of revolutionary nationalism was the failure of non –
cooperation movement which raised high hopes. Young ideals began to look for alternatives.
They decided that only violent methods can free India. Though it deeply found its roots in
Alipore Bomb Case, the phase started to decline during Gandhi’s mass mobilisation. Once
again, revolutionary terrorism became attractive. Further, two separate strands of
revolutionary terrorism developed in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar on one side and Bengal on
the other side. This trend emerged due to three main forces as follows:

1. Working class trade unionism

 2. Russian revolution
3. Communist groups

Revolutionaries in India were keen on Russian revolution to acquire knowledge on the

methods for unsuccessful attempts in India. Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) was
founded by Ramprasad Bismil, Jogesh Chatterjea and Sachindranath Sanyal with the basic
principle of adult franchise as a stepping stone. The events followed were the Kakori
Conspiracy Case in 1925 for the mobilisation of money and quick arrest by government.
Later, Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) was renamed as Hindustan Socialist
Republican Association (HSRA) in 1928 with new set of young men. In order to avenge the
death of Lala Lajpat Rai who died because of lathi charge, to oppose public safety bill and
trade disputes bill which affects the rights and civil liberties of common people with Bhagat
Singh being the lead threw bombs on Central Legislative Assembly on 8 th April, 1929. This
motive was to get arrested and use the trial court as forum for propaganda so that people will
be aware of their movement and ideology. This incident was followed up by series of famous
conspiracy cases. The slogans “Inquilab Zindabad” echoed everywhere during trials. The
songs and slogans earned revolutionaries with the support and sympathy of people all over
the country. Famous songs were Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamare dil mei hai (our heart is
filled with the desire for martyrdom), Mera rang de Basanti chola (dye my clothes in saffron
colour) which invoked fierce spirit among men to take part in revolutionary activities. They
accomplished their objective of “making the deaf hear” which would either denote the
imperialists or the people. It is heartfelt to note that the hanging of Bhagat Singh had an
astounding impact on people to fast and mourn with hunger strikes. In Bengal, revolutionary
terrorists started their underground activities. There were continuous factions and quarrels
within the terrorist groups divided into Yugantar and Anushilan groups. This led to the rise
and emergence of most famous and active Chittagong Group led by Surya Sen, a brilliant
organizer and sincere man. He initially planned to organise rebellion and raids on small scale
to demonstrate whether it was possible to challenge the British Empire. They planned to
occupy two armouries in Chittagong in Bengal as an attempt to seize the arms and
ammunitions of the government. Large group of revolutionaries joined together with the goal
to destruct telephone and telegram systems, railway connections between Chittagong and rest
of Bengal. It took place on the night of 1st April, 1930. Slogans such as “Inquilab Zindabad”
echoed. Distinct teams continued their activities in various spots such as police armoury,
auxiliary force armoury with guns and rifles. They partially succeeded in their actions but
received severe setback. Surya Sen wore white khadi and long coat hoisted the national flag
with shouts of “Bande Mataram” and proclaimed a provisional revolutionary government
with 65 others. As the plan did not came out well, Surya Sen wisely took the next step to be
safer. They dispersed towards Chittagong hill ranges and neighbouring villages. It did not
curb his efforts. From there, they hatched comprehensive plan to attack and carry on raids on
government. The spirit of nationhood can be witnessed from the evidences that Muslims
despite differences provided food and shelter helped for their survival for three years. Finally,
Sen was arrested on 16th February, 1933 and hanged on 12 th January, 1934. His efforts were
lauded by Jawaharlal Nehru while he was arrested in Calcutta. The impact of raids in
common parlance was the sudden panic experienced by the government and series of
assassination of officers, governors and magistrates which gave the government severe blow
and challenge to their authority. The most striking impact was the new phase of large-scale
participation of young women under Sen. Women at the first instance provided shelter acted
as messengers and guards of arms. They were instigated by daring attempts of Sen despite his
own life at risk. Women began to engage in fighting with guns in hand. The pioneers of this
step were Pritilata Waddedar, the unsung heroine of Chittagong Armoury Raid and Kalpana
Dutt, the leader of women troops who survived with massive courage and strength. Thus,
they opened up the era of women’s participation in revolutionary activism. When we trace
the history of women’s participation in Indian freedom struggle, we may encounter countable
prominent figures like Sarojini Naidu, Annie Besant and many regional personalities who lit
the fire among common people to step out. But Kalpana Dutt and Pritilada Waddedar were
significant and peculiar for their participation equivalent to men with arms and ammunition
which was novice. Intellectual awakening became common among women during that point
of time. Still, revolutionary activism can’t be spotted anywhere prior to them. Let’s witness
this phase in detail with specific reference to Kalpana Dutt and Pritilata Waddedar.

Kalpana Dutt: (27 July, 1913 – 8 February, 1995)

Kalpana was born in Sirpur, a village in Chittagong district of Bengal. Her father Binod
Behari Dattagupta was a government employee. She was fascinated towards science in her
childhood. Once she joined the Betune College, she rendered herself through active
involvement in Chhatri Sangha (women students association) in which Bina Das and Pritilata
gained prominence. Inspired by all revolutionaries of her age she destined herself for the
development of various organizations. She used to learn swimming in order to make her
strong enough. She joined Indian Republican Army (IRA) Chattagram branch headed by
Surya Sen in 1931. Surya Sen surprised by her gallantry entrusted the task of conducting
Chittagong Armoury Raid. She carried secret investigations about the circumstances for
successful raid. On her way towards reconnaissance process she got arrested. She was
arrested and released on bail. She strived hard to uphold the efforts of Surya Sen when he was
arrested. She attempted to threw bomb in the jail so as to free Sen but it failed miserably. She
was also arrested on 19th may, 1933 and sentenced for transportation of life. She joined
Communist Party of India (CPI) after her release in 1939 and continued her philanthropic and
patriotic activities. She documented her memories of Chittagong Armoury Raids and visuals
into a book which was translated in English as “Chittagong Armoury Raiders:
Reminiscences”. In her book, each and every ounce of raids were clearly articulated which
takes us to the real scenario. She imparted the idea of real hard work and courage of Surya
Sen among the people to break their myths which had been mentioned in her memoirs. We
can remember him for his guerrilla tactics and no one could catch him for prolonged period
so he can be best known as “Mountain Rat” as similar to Shivaji. He was fondly addressed as
“Masterda”. She aptly recorded her experiences with all fellow colleagues of Indian
Republican Army in her memoir. She often used to disguise as man and dodged the police
despite severe protection. She was arrested many times but escaped or released due to lack of
evidence. Her persistence and audacity made her shine as the cult among women
revolutionaries similar to Bhagat Singh while others couldn’t. She also wished to see India
free from poverty and exploitation. She proved the conception of men in the matter of
guerrilla warfare as women wouldn’t be fit as false and occupied a distinct place in history.

Pritilata Waddedar: (5 May, 1911 – 24 September, 1932)

Pritilata Waddedar is the “First Woman Martyr from Bengal”. She didn’t get due recognition
for her sacrifice at the age of 21. Born in a middle-class Vaidya Brahmin family in Dhalghat
village near Chittagong. Her parents were Jagabandhu Waddedar and Prathibha Devi. Her
father was a clerk in municipality. Her enthusiastic spirit from her childhood rendered her the
opportunity to study well with her father’s support. Being studious, she got inspirations from
Rani Lakshmibai from her teachers. She studied in Dr Khastagir government school in
Chittagong. She was fascinated in arts and literature. In 1929, she got admitted to Eden
College, Dhaka. She topped all her examinations. She devoted herself in various social
activities. Deepali sangha was the group which encouraged to do so. She pursued her higher
education in philosophy in Bethune college, Calcutta. She worked as a teacher and then
became headmistress in Chittagong itself. At this time, responsibility to take care of the
family fell upon her.

Breaking the ice and entry to revolutionary activism:

She was the first woman revolutionary in Swadeshi movement. When she was willing to join
Indian Republican Army, Surya Sen didn’t operate on open grounds. She finally met him in
May 1932. Her attitude as a dutiful, brave and firm discipline attracted Sen to make her as the
leader for attack on European club at Pahartali. In those days, it was rare for women to be
accepted in revolutionary groups. Due to her natural valour and spirit, she was accepted and
entrusted by Sen in his team. She suggested that it would be easier for women to carry arms
without suspicion. She was genuine in her thoughts and ideals between fighting. The words
about Preeti’s persistence from Kalpana Dutt’s “Chittagong Armoury Raiders:
Reminiscences” – ‘When I am ready to give my own life for the country’s freedom, I won’t
hesitate a bit in taking somebody’s life too if necessary’. When the Chittagong Armoury Raid
was conducted in 1930, she took part just as an ordinary member of the Indian Republican
Army. She came into contact with “Masterda” only in 1932. After the attack, she engaged
herself with wise and intelligent plans along with Kalpana Dutt. A unique rule followed by
Preeti was that leader will be the first to attack and last to return paving the way for comrades
to get on.

Pahartali European Club Attack:

European club humiliated Indians by putting up boards as “Dogs and Indians are not
allowed”. Sen decided to appoint a woman to carry out the mission. The choice of Sen to
appoint Preeti was due to Kalpana’s arrest earlier. This was the time she proved herself to be
peculiar from the grassroot level. She proudly bagged the leadership in her shoulders along
with arms. Sen instructed Pritilata to conduct attack on European club on 23 rd September,
1932. Pritilata led a group of 40 people. The plan was either a successful raid on Pahartali
European club or to die without surrendering at the hands of the enemy by swallowing
potassium cyanide. She followed the legacy of her living incognito Masterda and dressed up
as a Punjabi male. The attack was launched at 10.45 PM with 40 people inside. Many
officials started shooting. Few of her colleagues died with injuries. She got attacked by a
single bullet despite pre – organized division into three groups to carry out the mission. When
she was shot, immediately swallowed cyanide as she couldn’t run. She was determined not to
get caught at the hands of British police. Thus, she lost her life at the age of 21 for our
motherland.

Close ally of Ramkrishna Biswas:

An important figure of Indian Republican Army was arrested and sent to jail. He was
sentenced to death. Inspired by his sacrifice Preeti made secret visits and had taken 40
interviews with Ramkrishna Biswas out of which came this idea not to die at the hands of
enemy. She considered it as a shameful and dishonourable death. She met Biswas more than
40 times in jail without any suspicion. This is the ample evidence of her intelligence and
diplomacy.

Associations with Kalpana Dutt:

The main source to bring out the abode of Pritilata was the book written by Kalpana dutt
which is the only primary source for Chittagong Armoury Raid in 1930. Kalpana made
soulful revelations about Preeti and her audacious acts. She watched the Pahartali European
club attack with her own eyes and when peace was felt she came to know the bitter truth that
Pritilata was dead. She writes as: “People were convinced for the first time that Indian
women can do what our men have done”. Chittagong always remembers Preeti as its
daughter. Priti was a very dear and good friend of Kalpana Dutt. Along with them, two other
girls also joined but soon they left. They collaborated together for several petty raids. Preeti
was two years older than Kalpana. Kalpana cherishes all her memories with Pritilata that how
she was initially furious on her when she refused Kalpana to take part in attacks. Later, she
grew in close connections with Preeti. Kalpana and Pritilata spent their school days as well as
their journey in battlefield together. Pritilata was always strong and determined to stay bold
which can be reflected from the idea that there should be transformation from “To be loyal to
God and the King Emperor” into “To be loyal to God and country”. Priti even rendered her
family’s money when there was an emergency for Masterda. She practised all forms of
Swadeshi right from clothing etc., They both dreamt together how they would be in future
and suddenly Rani of Jhansi lit their mind up and ignited their spirit. Pritilata was even
courageous than Kalpana. Preeti excelled with leadership qualities to let her colleagues
escape and let herself face danger. Masterda felt broken into pieces when he heard of Preeti’s
suicide. He reveals that she was keen in successful escape instead of fateful surrender. Thus,
the icon of women in revolutionary activism died at the young age of 21 by daring attempt to
commit suicide. The recognition to Kalpana could not be attained by Pritilata Waddedar
which makes the present generation to feel and sense the guilt. Pritilata was the real martyr
behind the Chittagong Armoury Raid in 1930. Kalpana could not get out of her demise for a
long week. She felt Preeti would come back living alive.

Conclusion:

“I wonder why there should be any distinction between males and females in a fight for
country’s freedom. If brother can feel for their mother country and can fight for her cause,
why not the sisters” – Pritilata Waddedar

These words were made true by her own efforts which were spectacular. As we trace back the
origin of revolutionary nationalism, we are able to figure out the massive and active
participation and sacrifice of men in initial stages. The stigma and stereotypes are burst out
only when woman stepped forward and rendered themselves in freedom struggle as
equivalent to men. Though prominent women are identified with intellectual struggles, there
is something distinct and special about women revolutionaries. Their acts instigated even
common people in general to realise the need for spirit and patriotism towards our
motherland. Pritilata Waddedar opened up the age of women revolutionaries in the sphere of
patriarchal nationalism.

“Revolution is an inalienable right of manhood. Freedom is an imperishable birth right of

all”. – Bhagat Singh

These lines of the icon of revolution reminds us that freedom can attained only when we get
liberated from oppression which can be effectively achieved by revolution. Pritilata took the
forefront absorbed and proved the words of Bhagat Singh in an optimistic way for female
participation in revolutionary activism. Still, she is known to only few groups of native land.
Thus, it is our foremost duty to study and sense the feeling of pride from ancestors who gave
their blood and life for the independent land in which we live and enjoy our rights today. As
Kalpana Dutt and Bhagat Singh were identified as two pillars of revolutionary nationalism in
India, there are numerous personalities behind the limelight who are yet to be discovered and
recognised. Women’s role in nationalism is absolutely inevitable to achieve common goal of
nationhood. Let us take efforts to bring other revolutionaries to the epicentre of nationalism
in which new ideas may come. Their methods of activism are still spectacular and baffles
every one of us. We are all a symbol of what they created as free India. So, many hidden
treasures like Pritilata, the “First Woman Martyr of Bengal” need to be recognised.
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1979.

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India's Struggle for Independence. Penguin Books, 2016.

Chatterjee, Manini. Do and Die: The Chittagong Uprising 1930 – 34. Penguin Books, 1999.

Forces, Geraldine. Women in Modern India. Cambridge University Press, 1999.

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Banglapedia. “Datta, Kalpana”. 18 June 2021, www.getbengal.com/details/unsung-heroine-

kalpana-dutta-who-fought-against-the-british

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