Bomb Manufacturing of Bengal Revolutionaries

The Bombs of Bengal Revolutionaries 💣

The Bombs developed at the Rajabazar Center of the Anushilan Samiti were much more explosive than other types of bombs. In the police records, such a bomb made at Rajabazar center has been called as "Rajabazar type bomb". The report of the Sidson Committee on the Rajabazar class of bombs states that such bombs “supplanted the spherical bomb” and such bombs “were used in later outrages throughout Bengal and in other provinces” – such bombs took the place of circular bombs and later became the country of Bengal. Such bombs are used in revolutionary activities everywhere and in other provinces.

According to the information collected by the British Commission, Sri Aurobindo, after his departure from Pondicherry, was entrusted with the task of making bombs at Chandannagar, named Sri Suresh Chandra Dutta, an M.Sc. in Chemistry, resident of Srirampur on a student studying in the class. 

Later, he was assisted by two other accomplished students of Chemistry, Manindranath Nayek and Dr. Nagendranath Ghosh. Later Amritlal Hazra alias Shashanko of the Anushilan Samiti joined this bomb manufacturing center in Chandannagar and helped in making better bombs.

About Amritlal Hazra alias Shashanko's bomb-making features Sri Matilal Roy of the Pravartak Sangha comments:

"After finding Shashanko alias Amritlal Hazra, the bomb which was being prepared for the death of the assailant with the help of a phosphorous cap filled with picric acid in a tin cup, then there was an opportunity to construct it in cast iron.

The bomb's power was then multiplied by the fission of the cast iron explosives, which would have resulted from the tin bursting. The credit for this action belongs to Shashanko alone.”

Bomb preparation began in Chandannagar as it was relatively safe to make bombs in French-occupied Chandannagar, a territory outside British India. Chandannagar residents had direct and indirect help in organizing this bomb preparation. The house of Motilal Roy, Manindranath Nayek, Kshetramohan Bandyopadhyay, Sagarkali Ghosh, Rasbehari Bose etc. was one of the centers of bomb making in Chandannagar. 

The Nixon Report and the Siddson Committee report reveal that Chandannagar was actually turned into a bomb factory and the bombs manufactured in Chandannagar were used in various revolutionary activities. The following information from the Nixon Report on the bomb made at Chandannagar is of particular note.-

Bombs in Chandannagore: It was found that Chandannagore had become a factory for the manufacture of bombs. The bombs used in the following series of outrages were identically of the same type as that of the Dalhousie Square case and are believed to be the manufacture of the Chandannagore group of anarchists.

1. "Attempt to bomb, Abdar Rahman, Midnapore.- (12th December, 1912)

2. Attempt to bomb, Lord Hardinge 23rd December, 1912.

3. Maulavi Bazar bomb case-27th March, 1913.

4. Lahore bomb case- 17th May, 1913. (10)