Prafulla Chaki

Prafulla Chaki  pronunciation  (Bengali: প্রফুল্ল চাকী Profullo Chaki) (1888–1908) was a Bengali revolutionary associated with the Jugantar group of revolutionaries who carried out assassinations against British colonial officials in an attempt to secure Indian independence.

Early life

Prafulla Chaki was born on 10 December 1888 in the Bihari village of Bogra district,Bengal Presidency, British India now in Bangladesh. He was expelled from Rangpur Zilla School when studying in Class 9 for taking part in a students' demonstration that violated East Bengal law. Then he joined Rangpur National School where he came in contact with revolutionaries and became a believer and practitioner of the revolutionary philosophies.

Revolutionary activities

Barin Ghosh brought Prafulla to Kolkata and he was enlisted in Jugantar party. His first assignment was to kill Sir Joseph Bampfylde Fuller (1854-1935), the first Lieutenant Governor of the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam. However, the plan did not materialize.

Next, Prafulla, along with Khudiram Bose was chosen for the murdering of Kingsford, the magistrate of Muzaffarpur, Bihar. Kingsford during his previous tenure as the Chief the Presidency Magistrate of Calcutta was unpopular for passing harsh and cruel sentences on young political workers of Bengal. He was also noted for inflicting corporal punishments on such workers. This led to the planning of his murder, and Chaki and Bose were selected and sent to Muzaffarpur to execute this task.[1]

The Muzaffarpur killing

Khudiram and Prafulla watched the usual movements of Kingsford and prepared a plan to kill him. In the evening of 30 April 1908, the duo waited in front of the gate of European Club for the carriage of Kingsford to come. When a vehicle came out of the gate, a bomb was thrown into the carriage. There was a mistake of identification by them, as the vehicle was not carrying Kingsford, but wife and daughter of Mr Pringle Kennedy, a leading pleader of Muzaffarpur Bar. The daughter died soon and his wife succumbed to her injuries.[1] The revolutionaries fled.

The manhunt and suicide

Prafulla and Khudiram decided for separate routes to escape. Prafulla reached Samastipur where he was given shelter and clothing by a railway staff Triguna Charan Ghosh. Ghosh also provided him an inter class ticket in the night train for Mokama.[1] Nandalal Banerjee, a Sub-Inspector of Police, in the same compartment who was returning from his leave suspected Prafulla at Samastipur Railway station. The sub inspector sent telegraphic message to Magistrate Mr Udman at Muzaffarpur and was allowed to arrest Prafulla Chaki. At Mokama Ghat railway station commotion and a short chase ensued. Prafulla was soon cornered and was about to get arrested when he took his own life by firing two shots one at the forehead and the other on the left side of his chest at the head.[2] His head was then severed from his body and sent to Calcutta for further identification by Khudiram who was captured.[1] Khudiram was later arrested and was hanged to death.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Ritu Chaturvedi (1 January 2007). Bihar Through the Ages. Sarup & Sons. pp. 340–. ISBN 978-81-7625-798-5. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  2. ↑ Arun Chandra Guha (1971). First spark of revolution: the early phase of India's struggle for independence, 1900-1920. Orient Longman. Retrieved 3 March 2012.

External links

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