UNDERGROUND RESISTANCE MOVEMENT IN ASSAM FROM 1921 TO 1947: Formation of
Goalpara Tarun Sangha, the First secret society in Assam
As a result of the suspension of the Non-Cooperation Movement,
a revolutionary organization Tarun Sangha was formed in
Goalpara in between 1923-24. The sole organizer of the Sangha was Khagendranath Nath. He
organized the Tarunsangha with
the help of Hiranya Kumar Basu of Dhubri, who was an active member of Bengal Anushilan Samiti, Pulakesh De
(Dhubri), Pratul Ganguli and P.C. Chakravarty,
the famous revolutionary leader of Kumilla. Initially, Lathi and dagger
play were practiced in the Sangha.
Later they appointed Biswanath Bhadury an expert in lathi and dagger ply from Faridpur to train the members of the sangha. Besides these, the members of the Tarunsanghawere are bound to read biographies of
famous revolutionaries, preferably on the description of Bengal revolutionary
activities. At that revolutionary related books were declared as proscribed by
the government. The members of the Tarunsangha were always ready to do
anti-government activities so they preferred those proscribed books as their
study materials.1
The formation of Tarunsangha opened a new age in
Goalpara. Youths from various places came to join the Sangha. The door of
the Sangha was opened for all cast and creeds but in the case of membership, it
depends on fitness. Moreover, the members were also not allowed to
participate in every discussion and activity of the Sangha. There were two
types of members- Ordinary members and Special members. The special members of
the period were Kumar Rai, Mahabir Prashad Saha, Sudhinya Bush(Mantu), Anadi Charan Das of Southern bank of Brahmaputra, Umesh Chandra
Das (village – Dahela), Rajani Kanta Das (village –
Bahati, Sarat Chandra Rai (village – Tukura ), Mahaesh Chandra Das
(Goalpara-Chandaria), Madhab Chandra Das
(Chandaria), Mathura Kanta Das (Chandaria), Harakanta Kalita
(Goalpara town), Sachindra Kumar Nath,
Sailen Kumar Nath, Najimuddin Ahmed (Nayapara), Durga Prashad Rai, Sharat Chandra Das of Northern bank of Brahmaputra and
Okhil Chandra Das(village -Piradhara ) etc.2 The aim of the Tarun Sangha was to free India with armed revolution and not
individual terrorism. To materialize their aims a good number of efficient
members must be recruited. But it was very tough work for the organizers to
find out a single competent member for the sangha. During that time, pictures
and speeches of Jyanenjan Neogi’s Magic lantern
created a great contribution for inspiration to the members of the Tarunsangha.
Tarunsangha had good communication with the Anishilan Samiti of the Kumilla branch, that is why P.C.Chakravarty
visited Goalpara in November 1926 and he
administered the oath to Khagendranath Nath with blood signature of Nath’s chest in his notebook. From Goalpara he went to Guwahati to meet the other members of
revolutionary organizations and from there by ship he back to Calcutta.3 The
oath-taking system prevailed in the Bengal Anushilan Samiti from the very
beginning. Any person who wanted to engage in the same Samiti activity had first to
take an oath secretly. Aurobindo gave the oath of his revolutionary party to P.
Mittra. He also administered the oath to, Hemchandra Das, with a sword and the
Gita in his hands. The person taking the oath had to promise in a solemn manner
that he would try to secure the freedom of Mather India at any cost, and not to
declare the secret of his society, to anyone outside.
The Anushilan Samiti laid down
three types of vows preliminary, find, and special, in order to infuse
revolutionary morality into the new members so they could bravely face any
danger and maintain absolute secrecy. The final vow, particularly, contained
six pledges in which the members promised to keep secret to affairs of the
Samiti from persons who were not found by oath.4
It is significant to note in this connection that the pledge of the oath enjoined the penalty of death for the betrayal of the cause of revolution and also for confession of the secret of the movement. Narendranath Gossain who became the approver of the Alipur Bomb Case was murdered within the Alipur Jail on 31st August, 1908.5 by Kanai and Satyen. By killing Narendranath Gossain, Kanai and Satyen proved that betrayers had no place among the revolutionaries dedicated to the cause of the country6. In 1917, Reboti Nag a member of the Dacca Anushilan Samiti was assassinated by his associates for disciplinary reasons.7 The oath-taking custom of secret societies of Bengal was also adopted by the secret societies of Assam. After the incident of Narendra Gossain, the secrecy and alertness of SEWA SANGHA the first secret society of Assam increased. The member of the Sangha took an oath in the name of their country and religion, not to disclose the name of the other members in any circumstances. Anyone not keeping to this oath will be murdered like Narendra Gossain.8 There was a meeting of the Tarun Sangha at 5pm on the 4th of April 1930, in the Jublee Garden , Guahati, about 150 students and a few other persons attended. The leading men among them were –
1. Hem Chandra
Barua, Pleader
2. SidhiNath Sharma, Pleader,
3. Bishnu Ram Medhi, Pleader,
4. Dehi Ram Deka, Pleader,
5. AmbikaGiriRaichoudhuri and
6. Nara Nath Sharma of Sibsagar .
Government could not received any objectionable report
instead of the cries at the time of dissolved the meeting “ Desh Mata Ki Jai,
Bharat Mata Ki Jai”. Thus, despite the non-violence movement at the time, many
youths formed secret organizations with the plan to spread violence or terror
and drive the British out of India.
References –
1.
Nath,
Khagendranath,
Swadhinata Sangramat Goalpara, Goalpara, 1971, Page -30).
2.
“ ( Page-30).
3.
“ ,(
Page-31).
4. Sen, S. N., The Bengalis ; The people their History and Culture, Page- 150)
5. Choudhuri, K.C. History of Modern India, Calcutta, 1993, Page-378)
6. Sen, S. N., ----Page- 150)
7.
Mor Jeevan Dhumuhar Esati, A.Raichoudhury)
and
8.
YEAR -1930,
ASSAM POLICE ABSTRACT OF INTELLIGENCE , TARUN SANGHA, GAUHATI .
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