Suniti Choudhary, destined to play an extraordinary
role in the freedom struggle, was born on 22
May 1917, in Ibrahimpur village of Tripura district,
in East Bengal, in an ordinary Hindu middle-class
family. Her father Umacharan Choudhury was in
Government services. Her mother was Surasundari
Choudhury, a quiet, pious lady who left a deep
sustaining influence on the stormy career of
Suniti. When she was a tiny girl in school,
her two elder brothers in the College were already
in the vortex of the revolutionary movement.
Suniti, a rather precocious child, was silently
imbued with the political atmosphere at home
and in the district. The stories of the exploits
of Ullaskar Dutta, a veteran revolutionary ten
living in Comilla, impressed her young mind
considerably. She was recruited to the Jugantar
Party by one of her classmates, Prafullanalini
Brahma. A students conference held at
that time in Comilla gave a fillip to the activities
of this young batch of girls. Suniti was the
captain of a Volunteer Corps of girl students.
Her majestic bearing and attention of many,
specially of the revolutionary leaders of her
district.
Suniti was picked up for training in the play
of dagger and stick and also in rifle-shooting
in
secret in the hills nearby. Soon after she along
with Santi Ghose, her classmate, was chosen
for a direct action. So long women revolutionaries
worked in the background. Now it was decided
that they should also come to the fore. One
day (on 14 December 1931) the two girls approached
the District Magistrate of Comilla, Mr. Stevens,
in his bungalow with a petition for permission
for a swimming club. When face to face with
him, they fired at the Magistrate. The first
bullet from Sunitis revolver shot him
dead.
In the midst of panic and confusion
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that followed the two girls were apprehended
and mercilessly beaten. Their unusual calm,
serenity and cheerfulness seen all through their
undertrial days in the prison and in the court
struck one and all with wonder. All the time
they sang and laughed. They expected to die
a martyrs death. But in view of their
tender age (only 14) they were given the sentence
of life-imprisonment. Though a bit disappointed,
they took the judgement cheerfully and bravely
and entered the portals of the prison house,
singing aloud Poet Nazruls famous song-Oh
break down those iron bars! Burn away all these
prison houses!
Sunitis prison-life was one long saga
of sufferings. The vindictive alien Government
tried to make it as cruel and intolerable as
possible. She was made a Division III convict
and kept segregated from all other political
prisoners. Her old fathers pension was
stopped. Her two elder brothers were detained
without trial. The family was for years on the
brink of starvation.
And, as if to crown it all, her younger brother
died of consumption caused by long years of
malnutrition. These sufferings only tempered
the steel of her personality. After seven years
she got an early release with many other political
prisoners. With undaunted spirit she again faced
life full of struggle awaiting her in the outside
world. She resumed her studies and took the
medical degree of M. B. B. S. she is now carrying
on an extensive private practice.
In 1947 she married Pradyot Kumar Ghose, a well-known
trade unionist. With an only daughter her home
is now a heaven of peace. But her heart still
bleeds at the sufferings of millions of her
dear countrymen, and she is always ill at ease
for not being able to all that she wants to
do for them.
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