Ashutosh Kuila
Ashutosh Kuila | |
|---|---|
| আশুতোষ কুইলা | |
 | |
| Born | 1924 |
| Died | 29 September 1942 |
| Cause of death | gunshot wound |
| Alma mater | Kalyanchak Gourmohan Institution |
| Known for | participation & martyrdom during Quit India Movement |
| Father | Jibanchandra Kuila |
Ashutosh Kuila (Bengali: আশুতোষ কুইলা) (1924 – 29 September 1942) was an Indian revolutionary and martyr from Madhabpur, Purba Medinipur, Bengal. At 18 years old, he participated in the Quit India Movement as a member of Bidyut Bahini, a local revolutionary group.[1] On 29 September 1942, while leading a peaceful protest in Mahishadal, British police opened fire on the unarmed procession, killing him. His sacrifice became symbolic of the nationalist fervour in Midnapore during Indian independence movement.[2]
Early life
[edit]Ashutosh Kuila was born in 1924 to Jibanchandra Kuila in Madhabpur, Purba Medinipur, under the jurisdiction of Kalyanpur police station, in the Midnapore district of Bengal. He was enrolled at Gourmohan Institution, a local high school in Kalyanchak that had emerged as a hub of nationalist sentiment during the Indian independence movement.[3]
Role in the Quit India Movement
[edit]The Quit India Movement, launched on 8 August 1942, galvanized nationwide protests demanding an immediate end to British colonial rule. In Midnapore district, particularly the Tamluk subdivision, local Congress leaders and revolutionary youth responded swiftly. That year, the Tamluk Sub-Divisional Congress Committee (SDCC) was reorganized, with Ajoy Mukherjee appointed as secretary.[4][5]
Students played a pivotal role in the mobilization effort. From earlier local volunteer groups such as the Swechasevak Bahini in Mahishadal, Sutahata, and Tamluk police station areas, a more structured force was created. This new wing, known as Bidyut Bahini, was inaugurated on 26 September 1942 at Sundara (under Mahisadal thana) by Baradakanta Kuiti. Led by Sushil Kumar Dhara, the Bidyut Bahini was trained in guerrilla tactics, physical drills, and first-aid for casualties. It was composed of three main divisions— action, intelligence, and nursing - and grew to include over 5,000 volunteers, including around fifty women.[6][7]
Kuila was among the young members of this force. On 29 September 1942, three days after the inauguration of the Bidyut Bahini, he led a protest march in Mahishadal as part of a coordinated civil disobedience operation. As the group approached the local police station, British forces opened fire on the unarmed demonstrators. Kuila was killed on the spot. His participation as an active volunteer in a trained revolutionary group highlights the depth of youth involvement in the movement.[8][9]
Martyrdom and legacy
[edit]Kuila was one of three students from Gourmohan Institution who were martyred in the police firing that day, the others being Purimadhab Pramanik and Upendranath Jana. All three were between fourteen and eighteen years of age. The event, which also claimed the life of freedom fighter Matangini Hazra, became a symbol of the local youth's commitment to the national cause.[10] Over fifty students from Gauramohan Institution reportedly participated in the protest, with several injured alongside the martyred. In recognition of its contribution to India's freedom struggle, the West Bengal Heritage Commission later designated the school as a heritage institution.[11][12][13]
Aftermath and institutional repression
[edit]Following the incident, colonial authorities issued notices to Gourmohan Institution, threatening to withdraw its recognition for fostering “disloyalty.” To avoid the school's closure, Headmaster Shripati Charan Bayal, a known freedom fighter who had previously been jailed for nationalist activities, resigned and relocated to Chandannagar, then a French enclave. The school's secretary Hansadhwaj Maiti, also a salt satyagrahi, stepped down under pressure[14]
Commemoration
[edit]The martyrdom of Kuila and his fellow students continues to be remembered in the region. Annual observances, memorials, and educational initiatives are held in their honor. Local leaders, including Ajoy Mukherjee, later Chief minister of West Bengal and a leader of the Tamralipta Jatiya Sarkar acknowledged their sacrifice as an enduring contribution to Indian independence movement.[15][16]
References
[edit]- ^ "আশুতোষ কুইলা". www.ebanglalibrary.com. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ https://cmsadmin.amritkaal.nic.in/unsung-heroes-detail.htm?4436
- ^ https://radhikaranjan.blogspot.com/2014/03/230-jyotish-chandra-ghosh-1883-1971.html
- ^ https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.4923
- ^ Bhattacharjya, Tarashankar (1973). Swadhinata Sangrame Medinipur.
- ^ https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.21003
- ^ Bose, Subhas Chandra. Subhas-rachanavali Vol. 2.
- ^ https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.17206
- ^ Rakshit, Bhupendrakishor (1960). Bharater Sashastra-biplab.
- ^ "INDIAN HISTORY COLLECTIVE". indianhistorycollective.com. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ https://archive.org/details/dli.bengal.10689.2936
- ^ https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.457812
- ^ Ray, Bhupendrakishore Rakshit (1960). Bharate Shashastra Biplab.
- ^ https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.267045
- ^ https://www.midnapore.in/article/Kalyanchak-Gourmohan-Institutions-Quit-India-Movement-August-Movement.html
- ^ https://cmsadmin.amritkaal.nic.in/district-reopsitory-detail.htm?22076
Bibliography
[edit]- Swadhinata Sangrame Medinipur by Basanta Kumar Das
- Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, History of the Freedom Movement in India, III, Calcutta 1963;
- History of Midnapore by Narendranath Das.
- Swadhinata Sangrame Medinipur by Tarashankar Bhattacharya