Unsung martyr of 1942

Unsung martyr of 1942

— Dr Ajit Baruah

The sixty-fifth year of martyrdom of Kushal Konwar, like preceeding years, will pass off silently on 15th June. In the year 1943, on the dawn of this very day, Kushal Konwar went to the gallows in Jorhat jail of Assam. Konwar had his formal education up to high school standard only, but he had his education in patriotism up to the highest level. Even on the prefixed day of hanging, he never faltered while moving to the site of the gallows. He was rather happy to accept death for the cause of the country, Konwar told his colleagues in the prison “I am a lucky man. Although I am just an ordinary man, God has chosen me to sacrifice my life for the freedom of my country”.Kushal Konwar hailed from a peasant’s family of Workha Goraunga, a small village, located at about 10 km south-east of Golaghat town. The family left their birth place for Sarupathar, the present district headquarter of Dhansiri subdivision of Golaghat district and settled in village Gondhokori. Kushal Konwar after serving in a tea estate as office assistant for few years left the job to join in the freedom struggle. He was soon appointed as the secretary of the local Congress committee. From the very first day of wearing the freedom fighter’s attire with Gandhi cap on his head, his only mission whirled around one goal – freedom of the country. In 1942, when the bugle of ‘Quit India’ movement started blowing all over, Golaghat had become the nucleus of underground revellious activities under the leadership of Sankar Baruah, for whose head, the British government declared and award of rupees ten thousand in 42’s rebellion.A large number freedom fighters opted for underground life evading arrest and moved from place to place incognito to enthuse the mass people. The British government took up all sorts of repressive measures to terrorise the people at large with arrest, tortures, collective fines, firing and what not. Sankar Baruah constituted death squad in the name and style of ‘Mrityu Bahini’ and they followed the instructions of rebel leaders like Joy Prakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia etc. The members of the death obstructing the military movement like carrying of arms through railway services, paralysing information network like postal and telegraph services etc. They even took up certain measures like causing fire to clubs of the Britishers so as to express their anger over their lack of sympathy towards the local people in the time of distress.The members of the death squad of Golaghat assembled in a meeting at Sarupathar in 1942 to finalise a plan to derail a train carrying arms and ammunition. Kushal Konwar was present in the meeting. When Konwar came to know about the derailment plan, he protested saving it as an act of violence and against the spirit of Gandhiji’s cult of non-violence. But when his colleagues refused to accept his arguments, Konwar left the meeting expressing his refusal to be a party to the conspiracy. The mutineers successfully derailed the train on October 10, 1942 at about 1.52 a.m. at Sarupathar area. After the incident, the government arrested a good number of Congress volunteers and trial started under CA Humphrey, the then Deputy Commissioner of Sibsagar district. Since the area of the occurrence was a partially excluded area, the Deputy Commissioner had the privilege of conducting the trial as the district judge. CA Humphrey, left no stone unturned to teach the freedom fighters a good lesson for daring to challenge the Britishers. Although Kushal Konwar was not at all involved, he was not only arrested but also made the prime accused. One Pulin Bihari Baruah, who was involved in the derailment episode was lured to become the approver. The local Mouzadar and the village headman were also influenced by the matter in such a way that the man who had the highest devotion to the cause of the freedom struggle with organisational acumenship be punished in such a manner so that in future others dared not to join the freedom struggle. Ultimately, on 6th March, 1943, CA Humphrey gave his final judgement and awarded death sentences to Kushal Konwar, Konokeswar Konwar, Ghana-shyam Saikia and Dharma Kanta Deka. Nagen Chutia and Indreswar Phukan were given 10 years rigorous imprisonment. They were convicted under section 126 Rly Act and DI Rules 35.Later, on submitting a mercy petition to the Governor General, death sentences on three except Kushal Konwar were commuted to 10 years RI. Kushal Konwar was hanged till death on the dawn of 15th June, 1943 in Jorhat jail. Prior to the day of hanging, when his wife Pravawati came to meet him for the last time along with two sons about 7 years and 4 years respectively, Konwar remained unmoved and consoled them to accept his impending martyrdom as a matter of pride. Even when he was escorted to the site of the gallows, there was no sign of any nervousness on his face and he chanted God’s name up to his last conscious death.Kushal Konwar happened to be the only freedom fighter in the whole sub-continent who had to go the gallows with a specific judgement of a British judge in the ‘Quit India’ movement of 1942. But alas! This heroic dead of this valiant freedom fighter of Assam is yet to find place in the national arena. His name is not mentioned by any Prime Minister since independence while unfurling national tricolour from the ramparts of Lalkilla.On the 65th year of Kushal Konwar’s martyrdom, we, bow our heads to this great hero of our country. Source: assam tribune editorial 15.06.08