Editor,
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s 128th birth anniversary.is on January 23.
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Subhash Chandra Bose was the then Chief Executive Officer of the municipal administration of Calcutta corporation and was busy in setting up free primary school across the city and health association in every ward. He published a weekly paper called, ‘ Calcutta Municipal Gazette ‘. He used to donate half his salary to charity.
As dawn broke on October 25, 1924, Subhash was awakened and was told that some police officers wanted to see him. “Mr Bose, I have a very unpleasant duty to perform,” the Deputy Commissioner of a Calcutta police said to him, “I have a warrant for your arrest under Regulation III of 1818.”
As per the British Government’s secret intelligence report, Subhash was “the leading organiser of the revolutionary movement in Bengal” .
Despite lack of evidence and trial, Subhash was incarcerated. He was first lodged in the Alipore Central Jail of Calcutta. He was then moved to Berhampur Jail in North Bengal. Suddenly, in January 1925, Subhash was transferred to Lalbazar , Calcutta police headquarters, which he described as “a hell on Earth.” After that Subhash Chandra Bose was transferred to Mandalay prison in Burma. Subhash’s physical strength was steadily dissipating during the course of 1926. Low grade feaver was a routine occurance. On March 25, 1927 Subhash was dispatched to Insein Jail. On May 11, 1927, he was taken from Insein Jail to a boat. A four-day voyage across the Bay of Bengal brought him to Diamond Harbour. Subhash was suspicious when he was asked by the police officers to disembark, thinking that, that was a ploy to transport him away without taking him to Calcutta. He was assured, however, that the new Governor of Bengal, Sir Stanley Jackson, had put the gubernatorial boat at his disposal and that he was to be examined by a high powered panel of doctors, including Governors own physician. The next day, 16th May 1927, Subhash Chandra Bose was released by the Governor. From the Governor’s launch, he was transported to his elder brother’s home in Calcutta.
After two and a half years of detection without trial in Burmese prison, Subhash Chandra Bose was suddenly a free man.
Subhash had to recover his health before he could play an active role in politics. His weight had fallen by 20 pounds. The hill resort of Shillong, the then capital of Assam was chosen as the most suitable place for the ailing Subhash during that time. Subhash Chandra Bose was advised to take rest in Shillong. Subhash came to Shillong along with his parents and other family members on 12th June 1927. He set his first foot at “Kelsall Lodge” in Oakland Shillong. Subhash Chandra Bose had regained his good health. To him Shillong was a “good sanitararium” and “luxurious city”. He left Shillong during August 1927. Again he came back to Shillong and left on 18th October 1927 for Calcutta and joined active politics.
The Kelsall Lodge is now under the ownership of BSNL. State Government of Meghalaya did inspection in 2023 for the first time to preserve it as heritage site.
Yours etc.
Malabika Bisharad
Shillong – 4
