Surya Sen

• The death anniversary of Surya Sen, the legendary revolutionary leader was observed recently on January 12^th.

ABOUT SURYA SEN (22^ND MARCH 1894 – 12^TH JANUARY 1934)

• Also known as Surya Kumar Sen, he was an Indian revolutionary who was influential in the independence movement against British rule in India.
• In 1918, he was selected as president of the Indian National Congress’s Chittagong branch.
• He actively participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement before being detained and held in prison for about two years (1926-1928) due to his revolutionary activities.
• Sen, a talented and motivating organizer, was known for remarking that “Humanism is a distinctive virtue of a revolutionary”.
• Surya Sen was popularly known as ‘master da’.
• An armed force named Indian Republican Army was established in 1930 under his leadership and joined by the likes of Kalpana Dutt, Pritilata Waddedar etc.
• He is best known for leading the 1930 Chittagong armoury raid.
  • The complex strategy involved stealing weapons from the armoury and destroying the city’s communications infrastructure in order to cut off Chittagong from the rest of the British Raj.
  • Although, they were unable to seize the munitions.
• Masterda was detained on 16 February 1933, put on trial, and executed on 12 January 1934.