A Glimpse of Sachin Da’s Contribution to India’s Freedom Struggle
*Sachindra Nath Sanyal spent twenty-five years in prison out of the fifty years of his life.
*He was the only revolutionary who was sentenced to life imprisonment twice.
*Sanyal had three younger brothers—Jitendra Nath Sanyal, Rabindra Nath Sanyal, and Bhupendra Nath Sanyal—who were also active in the freedom struggle. Because of their involvement, they too were imprisoned many times and spent years in jail for India’s independence.
*Sachindra Nath Sanyal wrote the book Bandi Jeevan (A Life of Captivity), which is considered the Gita of Indian revolutionaries. The book was translated into more than eight languages, inspiring countless people to take the revolutionary path in the fight for independence.
*Sanyal was the founder of the Hindustan Republican Association.
*He was a close associate of the famous revolutionaries Rash Bihari Bose and Subhas Chandra Bose.
*Sachindra Nath Sanyal was the political mentor (Guru) to many great revolutionaries, including Chandrashekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Trilokya Chakraborty, Bhagwati Charan Vohra, Nalini Kishore Guh, Baba Prithvi Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Lala Hardayal, and Ajit Singh.
*Sachindra Nath Sanyal was popularly known as Sachin Da among fellow revolutionaries.
India and its people will always be indebted to Sachin Da. His entire family dedicated their lives to the freedom struggle.
There are hardly any other examples of such commitment. Sachindra Nath Sanyal was not only a revolutionary, but also a philosopher, writer, teacher, and the creator of an entire army of revolutionaries.
Sachindra Nath Sanyal was a great warrior who tried to rekindle the spirit of revolution in India after the 1857 revolt.
I prefer to evaluate people based on their work rather than their family background, but in Sachindra Nath Sanyal’s case, his family also played an important role in shaping his determination and resilience.
Unfortunately, very little has been written about Sachindra Nath Sanyal, and that’s why many people are unaware of his significant contributions.
I decided to write this post to help more people learn about Sachin Da and the immense impact he had on India’s freedom struggle.
The City of Shiva: The Roots of Sachindra Nath Sanyal’s Nationalism
The ancestors of Sachindra Nath Sanyal had settled in Varanasi (Banaras) from Bengal. They were distinguished scholars, and their knowledge was highly respected. Raja Chet Singh of Banaras, impressed by their scholarship, appointed Sachindra Da’s ancestor as a Pandit in his court.
While researching Sachindra Da’s story in the old libraries and reading rooms of Banaras, I came across a short article in an old magazine.
This article, written by Mrs. Monica Sanyal, mentioned Sachindra Da’s ancestor coming to Banaras and being appointed as a Pandit by Raja Chet Singh.
This was remarkable information for me because it revealed something crucial—this line contained the secret of Sachindra Da’s family’s deep connection to nationalism and their attachment to revolution.
During Raja Chet Singh’s reign, a rebellion had failed in Banaras. But what if that rebellion had succeeded? Could India have gained independence on 15 August 1781 instead of 15 August 1947? The date is the same, but the consequences would have been far different.
The ancestors of Sachindra Da were likely closely connected to this rebellion, the Pandit appointment by Raja Chet Singh. Being a scholar, he must have understood why the rebellion failed, and this knowledge would have been passed down through the generations.
This history of failure and resilience deeply impacted the family, and it’s clear that this legacy influenced Sachindra Da’s actions.
He made an extraordinary effort to free India through armed revolution. He formed a revolutionary organization, united revolutionaries across the country, and kept fighting for India’s independence. It’s likely that the “failed rebellion of Banaras” fueled his determination and the long struggle for freedom.
Sachindra Nath Sanyal: A Hero’s Journey from Childhood to Freedom Fighter
Sachindra Nath Sanyal was born on June 3, 1893, in his ancestral home in the Madanpura locality of Varanasi. His father, Harinath Sanyal, was a nationalist, and his mother, Kshirodhavasini, was a brave, strong, and religious woman. They raised their children in a nationalist environment.
His father worked as an accountant in the army, which meant the family moved frequently. Because of this, Sachindra Nath’s childhood was spent in cities like Kolkata, Varanasi, and Peshawar.
Two childhood incidents stand out and show the nature and determination of Sachindra Da:
@ When his father was posted in Shimla, Sachindra Da once saved his younger brother Jitendra’s life. Jitendra had slipped and was about to fall off a hill, and Sachindra Da risked his own life to pull him to safety.
@ On another occasion, a young British horse rider pushed his mother while riding. In response, Sachindra Da bravely beat up the young man, standing up against the British in his own way.
In 1908, after the death of his father, Sachindra Da’s family moved back to their ancestral home in Varanasi.
The Beginning of Sachindra Nath Sanyal’s Revolutionary Life
Sachindra Nath Sanyal’s journey as a revolutionary began in Varanasi. He started a branch of the Anushilan Samiti, a group dedicated to armed revolution. When the British banned the Anushilan Samiti, the organization was renamed the Young Man Association.
This group had an internal committee, and the young members pledged their loyalty by signing in blood before Mother Kali. As part of their ritual during Kali Puja, they would carve white pumpkins, which symbolized British rule.
Sanyal, as the right-hand man of Rash Bihari Bose, helped set up several revolutionary centers. He played a key role in the Hindustan-Ghadar Party, an organization that had around eight thousand members. Many people who traveled to India by ship were recruited into the group, including passengers on ships like Komagatamaru, Nishanmaru, Tosha Maru, and SS Korea.
Inspired by Rash Bihari Bose, Sanyal worked towards a revolution that would be as powerful and widespread as the one in 1857. He met with Vishnu Ganesh Pingale, a leader of the Ghadar Party, in Banaras. Sanyal also traveled to Punjab, where he met Kartar Singh Sarabha and other Ghadar leaders, supplying them with revolvers and ammunition.
Soon, Rash Bihari Bose took over leadership in Punjab, and the revolutionaries spread across Banaras, Punjab, and military cantonments, preparing soldiers for an uprising. The revolution was planned for February 19, 1915, with soldiers from places like Miyamari and Ferozepur Cantonments ready to join the fight. Sadly, the plot was uncovered, and many of the revolutionaries were arrested.
First Life Imprisonment of Sachindra Nath Sanyal
Sachindra Nath Sanyal worked tirelessly to prepare soldiers for the revolution. He visited the military cantonment in Varanasi multiple times, and the revolutionaries of Varanasi even gave Vishnu-Ganesh Pingale ten powerful bombs. However, Pingale was arrested in Meerut with these bombs. The soldiers in the Varanasi cantonment resisted giving up their weapons, leading to the court-martial of several soldiers.
On June 26, 1915, Sachindra Nath Sanyal was arrested in Varanasi. He was shackled and sent to Lahore Jail. Later, he was brought back to Varanasi for a trial in a special tribunal.
Along with Sanyal, his two younger brothers, Ravindra and Jeetendra, and Damodar Swaroop from Kota were also tried. Sachindra Nath Sanyal and Girija Babu were sentenced to life imprisonment, while Jitendra Nath Sanyal was sentenced to two years and his property was confiscated. His mother was also thrown out of their home.
The Return of a Revolutionary: Sachindra Nath Sanyal’s Release After Years of Imprisonment
After Britain’s victory in World War I, the British government decided to release many political prisoners who had been incarcerated during the struggle for India’s independence. Sachindra Nath Sanyal, one of the most prominent revolutionaries of his time, was among those released.
Sanyal had been imprisoned for several years, including a period spent in the notorious Cellular Jail (Kala Pani) in the Andaman Islands. The British authorities, after the war, decided to release many political prisoners in the hope of easing tensions and stabilizing their rule in India. This release came in 1920, shortly after the end of the war, as part of a general amnesty granted to many revolutionaries and activists.
While Sachindra Nath Sanyal’s release was a significant moment in his life, the impact of the British decision was twofold. It marked the return of a key figure in the revolutionary movement, who continued to be an inspiration for future generations of freedom fighters. On the other hand, Sanyal, despite being free from imprisonment, faced ongoing surveillance and restrictions on his movements, as the British continued to regard him as a serious threat to their colonial rule.
Life Imprisonment for the Second Time
* Soon after his release, Sachindra Nath Sanyal was imprisoned again for making bold speeches. This time, he was sentenced to two years in prison.
After being released, Sachindra Sanyal became involved in the Kakori Train Action (which was later called the Kakori Train Action instead of the Kakori Conspiracy). The revolutionaries, part of the Hindustan Republican Association, looted the government treasury from a train at Kakori, near Lucknow.
Many people were arrested in connection with this action. The court sentenced Rajender Nath Lahiri, Thakur Roshan Singh, Ashfaq Ullah Khan, and Ram Prasad Bismil to death.
Sachindra Nath Sanyal, along with others like Sachindra Nath Bakshi, Yogesh Chandra Chatterjee, Mukund Lal, Manmanath Gupta, and Govind Charan, was sentenced to life imprisonment and sent to the Cellular Jail in Port Blair.
Sachindra Nath Sanyal was released in 1937 but was arrested again in 1939 when the Second World War began.
This time, it was alleged that he was trying to start an armed revolution with Japan’s help. During this time, a prisoner in the jail contracted tuberculosis, and the prison staff refused to treat him because of the fear of the disease. Sachindra Nath Sanyal took responsibility for caring for the prisoner, and in the process, he contracted tuberculosis.
Sachin Da died on 6th February 1943 from tuberculosis. His sacrifice, determination, and willingness to give everything for India’s freedom set him apart.
The history of India’s struggle for independence cannot be written without remembering Sachindra Nath Sanyal. His legacy lives on in the hearts of the people, and his life of sacrifice will continue to inspire future generations.