To all those critics and historians, who often unequivocally mention the fact that India won independence because of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's non-violent movement, the name Surya Sen itself is a stark reminder to their ignorance of Indian revolutionaries. After the death of Bagha Jatin, when Indian revolutionaries were missing the killer punch, it was Surya Sen who turned the screws and made the British learn the lessons in their very own way.  The contribution of Surya Sen is not only about the Chittagong armoury raid, but also building guerilla team to fight the notorious British at their backyards.

Surya Sen was born on March 22, 1894.  He witnessed the movement against the partition of Bengal in his childhood. No doubt, ever since the battle of Plassey, Bengal has always remained a tough ground for British. From his childhood only, Surya Sen had revolutionary aspirations.  While studying in Behrampore College in B.A. in 1916, he was deeply motivated by his teachers. He was deeply moved by the ideals of Anushilan Samity, a revolutionary organization which had many followers. After completing his studies, he shifted to Chittagong in 1918 and joined as a teacher in National School Nandankanan. Being a teacher much revered by his students and colleagues, he was popularly known as 'Masterda'. In the beginning of his political career, he was deeply engrossed in the activities of the Indian National Congress. His teaching background and Bengali culture instilled true nationalistic root in him. He was extremely fond and admirer of Nobel Laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam.  He participated whole heartedly in the Non-cooperation movement and was arrested and imprisoned for two years, 1926-1928. He was also the Secretary of the District Congress Committee.

The idea of making a raid at Chittagong armoury came from Surya Sen. He knew it exactly well that the Chittagong armoury was a pivotal point for the British rule in East Bengal. He stressed on gathering revolutionary youths motivated to struggle for Indian Independence. The whole strategy of Chittagong armoury raid was intelligently thought of.  The primary target of the raid was to capture two main armouries in Chittagong following up with destruction of the telegraph and telephone offices. The next target was obviously the assassination of the members of the European Club. Incidentally majority of the European Club members were British. There was also an additional plan to raid firearm retailers. The logic behind jeopardizing the rail and communication lines were to sever all sorts of communication from Chittagong to Calcutta.

The Chittagong armoury raid was implemented by the newly formed 'Indian Republican Army' at 10 o'clock on the night of April 18, 1930. The revolutionaries were divided in two groups. One group comprising six revolutionaries were led by Ganesh Ghosh, who captured the police armoury.  The other comprising of ten revolutionaries led by Lokenath Baul captured the Auxiliary force armoury.  They had only Lewis guns and 303 army rifles along with them. The revolutionaries successfully detached telephone and telegraph communications and railway tracks were also blocked. Sixteen revolutionaries captured European club's headquarters in Pahartali.

Surya Sen, in his traditional white khadi dhoti and long coat with an ironed Gandhi cap took a military salute and hoisted the National Flag among constant chants of Vande Mataram and Inquilab Zindabad and it welcomed the formation of a Provisional Revolutionary Government. The whole group was led by none other than Surya Sen. He was ably supported by  Ganesh Ghosh, Lokenath Bal, Nirmal Sen, Ambika Chakrobarty, Naresh Roy, Sasanka Datta, Ardhendu Dastidar, Harigopal Bal (Tegra), Tarakeshwar Dastidar, Ananta Singh, Jiban Ghoshal, Anand Prasad Gupta, Pritilata Waddedar, Kalpana Dutta, Binod Bihari Chowdhury, Subodh Roy Debi Prasad Gupta and many other Bengali revolutionaries.

Later the police traced the revolutionaries. The revolutionaries under Surya Sen took shelter in Jalalabad hills, which is nearby to the Chittagong Cantonment. On 22nd April, 1930 heavy gunfight between the two sides ensued, 12 revolutionaries were killed. There were eight casualties from the police too. Surya Sen dispersed the revolutionaries to nearby villages in small groups. Few managed to flee to Calcutta whereas the police arrested a few. On September 24, 1932 other revolutionaries of the caliber of Debi Prasad Gupta, Manoranjan Sen, Rajat Sen, Swadesh Roy, Phanindra Nandi and Subodh Chaudhary led by Pritilata Waddedar attacked the European Club. The plan didn't work out as only a woman was killed and the revolutionaries were killed.

The Chittagong armoury raid trial was carefully looked at from all quarters. The British were devastated at such a planned attack from the Bengali revolutionaries. On March 1, 1932 the judgment was delivered where twelve of the revolutionaries were sentenced to deportation for life in Andaman. Two others received three-year prison sentences and other 32 individuals were acquitted. Unfortunately, one of the members from the group, Netra Sen betrayed the group and Surya Sen was arrested on February 16, 1933 from Gairala village. Finally, along with Tarekeshwar Dastidar, Surya Sen was hanged by the British on January 12, 1934

The exploits of the revolutionaries whom the British brutally tortured and hanged as terrorists, entered into folklore of Indian's struggle for independence.  Many British historians have categorically tried to malign the whole movement as 'loot', yet the commitment for motherland from Surya Sen and his aides can never be forgotten.  From Bengal to Punjab, the revolutionaries got a new zeal of life looking at the formation of a provisional government ever for a shorter span of time. It won't be an exaggeration to say that the fearless fight on part of Surya Sen and his brave aides motivated Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. If Azad Hind Fauj can be credited for acknowledging womanpower in battlefield in India for the first time, the Chittagong armoury raid instilled that belief among Indian women. From Kalpana Dutta to Pritilata Waddedar, many Bengali women joined hands with Surya Sen in the raid. They fought valiantly motivating women to join the independence movement.

 The jolt of the Chittagong armoury raid was of paramount significance to the British.  Ironically, it was only after thirty years since the Chittagong armoury raid, the British had no other option but to leave India.