Anujacharan Sen

Anujacharan Sen
অনুজাচরণ সেন
Saheed Anuja Charan Sen
Born	1905 Khulna District, Bengal, British India
Died	25 August 1930 Kolkata,Dalhousie Square, Bengal, British India
Cause of death	Bomb blast accident
Other names	Anuja Sengupta
Organization	Jugantar Party
Known for	Attempt to assassinate Commissioner of Police Charles Tegart
Movement	Indian Independence movement
Father	Bimala Charan Sen

Anujacharan Sen (Bengali: অনুজাচরণ সেন) (1905–1930) was a young revolutionary associated with the Jugantar party, active during the Indian freedom movement against British rule. Born in Senhati union of Khulna District (in present-day Bangladesh), he was the son of Bimala Charan Sen. After early education in Kolkata, he continued his schooling in his native village, which was then a hub of revolutionary training and nationalist activities.

Anujacharan stood out for his dedication to social service—helping the poor during floods and outbreaks of diseases like cholera and smallpox. These humanitarian efforts endeared him to the local community and reflected his early sense of duty and leadership.

Returning to Calcutta after completing his schooling, Anujacharan became actively involved in revolutionary actions, especially following the suspension of Gandhi's non-cooperation movement. He was sent by Jugantar party to Gaibandha, Rangpur, for two years to strengthen the organisation there.

In 1930, he was selected—alongside Dinesh Chandra Majumdar—for a high-profile assassination attempt on Charles Tegart, the notorious Police Commissioner of Calcutta. On August 25, during the bombing at Dalhousie Square, Anujacharan’s bomb exploded prematurely, fatally injuring him. He died instantly, becoming a martyr for the cause of India’s independence at just 25 years of age.

Early Life and Education

Birth and Family Background

Anujacharan Sen was born in Ashadh 1312 Bengali calendar (July 1905) in the village of Senhati, located in the Khulna District of undivided Bengal. His father, Bimala Charan Sen, was employed in Kolkata, and Anujacharan spent the initial years of his education in schools in the city.

Education in Senhati

Toward the end of his school years, Anujacharan returned to his ancestral village and enrolled at a local school in Senhati. At that time, Senhati had become a stronghold of the Jugantar revolutionary organization. Physical training sessions, patriotic lectures, and study circles focusing on Indian history and nationalist ideologies were common. Immersed in this environment, Anujacharan quickly aligned himself with the revolutionary ideals and was soon recognized as a promising young activist.

Revolutionary Involvement and Organizational Work

Activities in Kolkata

After completing his schooling, Anujacharan returned to Kolkata during a critical period in the Indian nationalist movement. The suspension of Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement had left a vacuum that the revolutionary groups sought to fill through direct action. Sen became increasingly active in Yugantar’s underground network, and his organizational ability and approachable nature allowed him to recruit and mobilize new members.

Assignment in Gaibandha (1924–1926)

Recognizing his potential, Yugantar leaders entrusted Anujacharan with the responsibility of expanding their influence in the northern region of Bengal. In 1924, he was sent to Gaibandha in the Rangpur district. Over the next two years, he carried out extensive outreach and ideological training among local youth. His efforts contributed significantly to building a base of revolutionary consciousness in the region.

Humanitarian Work and Personal Character

Beyond his involvement in revolutionary activities, Anujacharan Sen was deeply committed to humanitarian service and social justice. His compassion for the suffering and marginalized was evident in his frequent acts of public service. Alongside his close associate Dinesh Chandra Majumdar, Sen actively participated in relief efforts during crises—most notably assisting in firefighting during a major blaze in Rasulpur and caring for the sick during outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and smallpox.

These efforts reflected a larger ethos of self-reliance and service that permeated the revolutionary circles of Bengal at the time. For Sen, the nationalist movement was not limited to political action; it also encompassed moral duty, community welfare, and direct support to the oppressed.

An illustrative incident highlighting this aspect of Sen’s character involved a widow whose land had been unjustly seized by a local moneylender. Moved by her plight, Sen, with the assistance of Majumdar, intervened to address the injustice. Through negotiation and moral persuasion rather than confrontation, they succeeded in restoring the land to its rightful owner. This episode remains a testament to Sen’s strong sense of justice, empathy, and principled conduct, even in his youth.

From left to right: Two best friends : Dinesh Chandra Majumdar & Anujacharan Sen.

Attempt to assassinate Charles Tegart

By the late 1920s, Bengal had become a focal point of revolutionary resistance against British colonial rule, triggering intensified surveillance and suppression efforts by the administration. Among the chief architects of this crackdown was Sir Charles Tegart, Commissioner of the Calcutta Police and a senior officer of the Indian Imperial Police. Known for his vast intelligence network and counter-insurgency tactics, Tegart had long been a primary target for revolutionary organizations such as the Jugantar Party.

Anujacharan Sen, already deeply embedded in revolutionary networks, emerged as a key figure in the renewed efforts to eliminate Tegart, who was held responsible for numerous repressive measures and the death of prominent revolutionaries, including Bagha Jatin in the 1915 Balasore encounter. Previous attempts on Tegart’s life had failed, including in 'anuary 1924, when Gopinath Saha accidentally assassinated a British civilian, Ernest Day, mistaking him for Tegart. Before his execution, Saha left behind a chilling warning: "Mr. Tegart may think he is safe—but he is not. I failed to finish the work. I leave it to others."

Inspired by this call to action, Anujacharan Sen, along with his close associate Dinesh Chandra Majumdar, volunteered for the mission during a strategic planning session of the Jugantar group. They were joined by fellow revolutionaries Atul Sen and Shailen Niyogi. As part of the operation’s preparation, the team underwent specialized training in the handling of TNT-based explosives, and were specifically instructed to use lit cigarettes rather than matches to ignite the fuses—a method designed to attract minimal suspicion. Even those unfamiliar with smoking were required to practice it for operational purposes.

Anujacharan Sen played an active role not only in volunteering for the high-risk mission but also in intelligence gathering and pre-attack logistics. Alongside Shailen Niyogi, he assisted in tracking Tegart’s daily movements, focusing especially on the latter’s commute to Lalbazar, the city's police headquarters. Despite Tegart’s habit of switching vehicles frequently to evade detection, Anujacharan and his comrades—Dinesh, Shailen, and Bhupendra Kumar Datta—confirmed that Tegart usually arrived at the premises around 11:00 a.m..

The Attack

On the morning of 25 August 1930, at approximately 11:00 a.m., Tegart's car was traveling from Kyd Street towards Lalbazar, sticking to the left side of Dalhousie Square East, close to the tramlines. As the vehicle approached, two bombs were thrown in rapid succession.

The first explosion shattered the glass windows of Harold’s Music Store and Thomas Cook & Sons, damaged two parked vehicles, and caused injuries to several bystanders, including a porter, two policemen, and two civilians. According to reports in the Amrita Bazar Patrika, the injured passers-by included Mulchand, a chaprasi employed at Hastings Jute Mill, and Tufani Dosad, a resident of Tikiapara, Howrah.

Startled, Tegart—seated in the rear of the car—instinctively drew his revolver. A second, more powerful bomb followed moments later, causing significant damage to the vehicle’s door and one of its wheels. Despite the force of the explosions, Tegart again escaped serious injury.

From left to right: The bomb effectiveness can be seen through the damaged car wheel & door of Charles Tegart

Martyrdom

In preparation for the operation, both Dinesh and Anujacharan had mingled with the morning crowd, smoking cigarettes to maintain their disguise and prepare for ignition. The lit cigarettes served the dual purpose of camouflage and bomb activation.

However, the execution did not unfold as intended. One of the bombs detonated prematurely in Anujacharan’s hand before he could throw it. Severely wounded by the blast, he attempted to flee by blending into the surrounding crowd. He collapsed about fifty yards away, near the Dalhousie Institute, suffering from major splinter injuries and rapid blood loss. A waterproof coat and .450 bore revolver were recovered beside him.

He was taken into custody and transported to Lalbazar Police Station, where he succumbed to his injuries. A later coroner’s inquest, conducted on 2 September 1930, attributed his death to massive internal bleeding from eight splinter wounds. Additionally, two live bombs were recovered from the scene.

From left to right: Six chambered .450 Bore Revolver and its cartridges recovered from Anujacharan.

Meanwhile, Dinesh Chandra Majumdar was arrested and detained at a nearby police station. The failed assassination attempt, while unsuccessful in eliminating Tegart, marked Anujacharan Sen’s final act of defiance and sealed his place in the history of India’s revolutionary movement.

A hand-made TNT hand grenade seized from Dinesh on August 1930: The bomb’s shell was made of aluminium. It was cut into serrated sections, each of which was intended to fly off like bullets when exploded.

Following the failed assassination attempt on 25 August 1930, Sir Charles Tegart later gave a statement to The Statesman, noting, “We have known for some time past that a recrudescence of terrorist activity was to be expected.” Tegart received congratulations from the Viceroy of India, the Governor of Bengal, Assembly members, and international institutions. The Statesman editor Alfred Watson condemned the violence and praised Tegart in a detailed editorial, portraying him as a steadfast symbol of colonial authority amid rising revolutionary unrest in Bengal.

Photograph of the dead body of Anujacharan Sen, taken by Police.

Legacy

Anujacharan Sen is remembered as one of the courageous young revolutionaries of Bengal whose martyrdom embodied the uncompromising spirit of resistance against British colonial rule. Though the mission to assassinate Commissioner Charles Tegart did not achieve its immediate objective, Sen’s ultimate sacrifice became a powerful symbol of defiance and inspiration for a generation of revolutionaries.

His life and actions represented not only militant nationalism but also a deep humanitarian commitment. Known for his compassionate service to the sick and poor, Anujacharan’s personality combined idealism with courage, making him a respected figure among his comrades.

The impact of his martyrdom was immediate and profound. As contemporary revolutionary Rasiklal Das reflected:

“The stream of blood that flowed from Anujacharan Sen’s body, drenching the fields of Dalhousie Square that day, was never in vain. That fresh blood, mingling with the soil, instantly ignited an unprecedented fervour in the veins of Bengal’s revolutionary youth. As if with a weapon in one hand and their lives in the other, they hurled themselves against the enemy, treading the fiery path of guerrilla warfare. How many priceless lives were sacrificed in this struggle—leaving the nation and its people indebted with an unrepayable debt—can we ever forget them?”

Anujacharan Sen’s name is now counted among those martyred in the revolutionary phase of India’s freedom struggle, a period marked by intense underground activity and personal sacrifice. Though not as widely known in mainstream historical narratives, his legacy lives on in the memories of Bengal’s revolutionary tradition and in the blood-soaked stories of its martyrs.

Film Adaptations

The legacy of Anujacharan Sen has been depicted in Bengali cinema, most notably in the 1972 film Shapath Nilam, directed by Sachin Adhikari. The film dramatized the revolutionary activities surrounding the attempted assassination of Charles Tegart. Subhendu Chatterjee portrayed Anujacharan Sen, while Samit Bhanja played the role of Dinesh Majumdar. The film featured a notable musical score, including a Vande Mataram song performed by Manna Dey, which added emotional depth to the narrative.

See also

• Gopinath Saha
• Dinesh Chandra Majumdar
• Sushil Dasgupta
• Atul Sen
• Sachin Kar Gupta
• Nalini Mohan Das
• Kamala Das Gupta
• Bina Das
• Rasiklal Das

Bibliography

• Hemendranath Dasgupta, Bharater Biplab Kahini, II & III, Calcutta, 1948;
• Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, History of the Freedom Movement in India, III, Calcutta 1963;
• Shapath Nilam by Shailesh Dey, 1964 .
• Abishmaraniya by Ganganarayan Chandra
• Ami Subhash Bolchi by Shailesh Dey