Hem Chandra Das
Om Shri Hem Chandra Das was an adventurous revolutionary who sold all his immovable property in Bengal and went to Paris in 1906. He became a member of the ‘ABHINAV BHARAT’ of Veer Savarkar. Under the guidance of Veer Savarkar’s colleagues, he established his contact with Russian Nihilists. From them he got the formula and practical lessons in the manufacture of bombs. Hem Chandra Das returned to India with the formula and the art. He came to Poona and demonstrated the formula and the manufacture of bombs to Lok Manya Tilak and Aurobindo Ghosh. Under his inspiration, Khudiram Bosh and Prafulla Chandra Chaki threw bombs in a carriage at Muzaffarpur in December 1907. It was directed against the notorious Chief Presidency Magistrate, an Englishman called Kingsford. But unfortunately he was not travelling in that carriage on that fateful day and two innocent English ladies got killed. This was the first bomb explosion in India as a weapon to frighten the alien English rulers. This was the first political murder with the help of a bomb. The whole of Bharath was shocked by this explosion of the bomb. Prufulla Chandra Chaki killed himself with his own revolver. Khudiram Bosh was arrested on 1 May, 1908. When he was being taken to the Muzaffarpur Police Station, milling crowds greeted him with VANDE MATARAM. He also joined the chorus singing of VANDE MATARAM with great frenzy and fervour. Khudiram Bosh confessed courageously in the court that he had thrown the bomb. This tender youth of 16 years climbed the platform to be hanged on the gallows on 11 August, 1908, with the sacred book of Bhagavat Geetha in his hands, the sacred song of VANDE MATARAM on his lips and a smile of cool satisfaction on his face. It was indeed just another reminder of the deathless courage of that heroic Abhimanyu of Mahabharatha fame.
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A Collction By Chetan.