What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
1) Founded on 24.03.1902, by Pramathanath Mitra and Satish Chandra Bose, the Anushilan Samiti was initially founded to promote a culture of fitness and create a society capable of protecting themselves, but soon evolved into a sophisticated organisation determined to end British Rule.
2) Inspired by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Anandamath and Hindu spirituality, the unique combination of mental, physical and spiritual strength allowed Samiti members to work in coordination and operate independently, according to the situation.
3) Their akhadas became training grounds for not just martial arts but also bomb-making, arms training and guerilla tactics.
4) Their call for armed resistance against the British Raj received public support throughout the contemporary Bengal Province.
5) The first notable impact of Anushilan Samiti was observed during the communal riots of the early 1900s.
Heavily armed members of Anushilan Samiti protected Hindu lives, livelihood, places of worship and the dignity of Hindu women during the riots of Cumilla, Dhaka and Jamalpur in 1907. Sights of Anushilan Samiti members forming the front lines against the aggressors became increasingly common as large-scale riots became more frequent.
6) 6) The assasination of the oppressive Dhaka District Magistrate D.C. Allen in 1907 was their first major blow against the colonial administration.
7) The following year saw 18 attempted assassinations, 11 of which were successful and 8 armed raids in West Bengal alone. Martyrs like Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki became national icons.
8) The Alipore Bomb Case and Dhaka conspiracy snared revolutionaries like Aurobindo Ghosh and Hemachandra Kanoongo, but the case against Aurobindo and many of the revolutionaries collapsed when crown witness Naren Gosain was assasinated in Alipore Jail. The Prosecutor and informant of the Alipore Bomb case were also neutralised in 1909.
9) Under the leadership of Jatindranath Mukhopadhyay, the raids and assasinations continued till 1915, like the attempted assasination of Viceroy Hardinge in 1912. Bagha Jatin focused on developing international contacts to increase the funds and firepower of the Samiti. Bagha Jatin and a number of fellow revolutionaries attained veergati while fighting the British in the shores of Balasore, after British intelligence intercepted their plans to receive a shipment of weapons from Germany.
10) The Anushilan Samiti encouraged women to actively participate in the freedom struggle. Women like Parul Mukherjee, Pritilata Waddedar, Kalpana Dutta and Bina Das performed assasinations and combat roles traditionally reserved for men.
11) The brutal crackdown of the colonial Government under the Defence of India Act could not stamp out the spirit of revolution. Stories of Anushilan Samiti members swimming across rivers to protect remote Hindu localities in Cumilla and Mymensingh during the riots orchestrated by
the Muslim League during the 1920s, played a vital role in neutralising plots aimed to derail the freedom movement.
12) Most colonial administrators were terrified to walk the streets of Bengal by the early 1930s. Masterda Surya Sen led his group of bravehearts with courage and skill during the Chattagram Armoury Raid and the battle of Jalalabad.
13) Binoy Bose, Badal Gupta and Dinesh Gupta stormed the Writers’ Building (colonial administrative centre) in December, 1930, to assasinate Colonel N.S. Simpson, the notorious Inspector General of Prisons.
They neutralised him along with 10 more Government officials.
92 attacks on Colonial administrators were recorded in 1931, including the assasination of 4 District Magistrates in West Bengal and Tripura.
14) The warriors of Anushilan Samiti wrote history with bombs, bravery and often protected the innocent during communal violence. Their story is a reminder, the most fierce protectors are those trained in both physical discipline and moral conviction.
