On 22 November 1916, Santi Ghose, one of the youngest revolutionaries of India was born in Calcutta. Read more on the life and contribution of Santi Ghose for the IAS Exam.
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Santi Ghose Biography
- Santi Ghose was born in Calcutta to nationalist Debendranath Ghose and his wife. Debendranath Ghose was also a professor of Philosophy at Victoria College of Comilla in Bengal.
- Ghose was brought up in Comilla, now in Bangladesh. She studied at the Faizunnesa Balika Vidyalaya.
- In 1931, she founded the Chhatri Sangha and became its secretary. The organisation’s president was a schoolmate of Ghose’s named Profullanandini Brahma. Brahma influenced Ghose a great deal.
- Inspired by Brahma, Ghose joined the revolutionary Jugantar Party.
- Ghose started training in firearms and swords. She was fiercely patriotic and believed that the British must be driven out of the country for the country’s good.
- On 14 December 1931, a 15-year-old Ghose walked into the Comilla District Magistrate’s office along with her associate Suniti Chowdhury, who was 14 years old.
- Claiming that they wanted to petition the DM Charles Stevens for a swimming competition for their classmates, they met him.
- After meeting with him, both the young girls took out automatic pistols from underneath their shawls and shot Stevens dead.
- The girls were arrested. On February 1932, they were sentenced to transportation for life. They were spared the hangman’s noose considering their tender age.
- Ghose said that she was disappointed on not getting the death sentence as she wanted to be martyred for the cause of freedom.
- The DM Stevens was known for abusing his position of power.
- Ghose spent 7 years in jail where she was abused and humiliated.
- In 1939, she was released as per amnesty treaty between the government and Mahatma Gandhi.
- After her release from prison, Ghose joined the Indian National Congress. She also participated in the communist movements.
- She was a member of the West Bengal Legislative Council from 1952–62 and 1967–68, and also a member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1962 – 64.
- She authored a book Arun Bahni.
- Ghose died in 1989.
Also on this day
1892: Birth of Gandhian Madeleine Slade a.k.a Mirabehn. 1899: Birth of freedom fighter Laxman Naik. 1968: Lok Sabha passed the notification to change the name of Madras state to Tamil Nadu.
See previous ‘This Day in History’ here.
Also see:
Pritilata Waddedar |
Revolutionaries in the Indian Freedom Movement |
Jatin Das |
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