Film pays tribute to unsung teenage patriots "The Statesman 06.09.2024"

 

Ye Mothers Screened at Vidya Sagar University, Midnapur, W.B.

 

Ye Mothers Promo

About the Film

SYNOPSIS

“TO PRESERVE YOUR HONOUR TAKE UP ARMS YOURSLVES YE MOTHER’S” is an autograph given by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose to the little revolutionary of this story Shanti Ghosh in 1931 at a student conference in Comilla.This story is based upon the life of world’s youngest girl’s revolutionaries, Shanti Ghosh & Suniti Chaudhary from Bengal……On 15 December 1931, news becomes the headlines of leading newspaper of India, London, Russia & Ireland (The Statesmen, Amrit Bajar Patrika etc.)
“TIEPRA (TRIPURA) DISTT MAGISTRATE & COLLECTOR SHOT DEAD BY A GIRL AT HIS BUNGALOW TWO YOUNG GIRL ARRESTED
[It is reported that Distt Magistrate & Collector Mr. CGB Steven shot dead at his bungalow by two young girls. The incident was reported at about 10 AM in the morning. The two girls were arrested at spot and identified as SUNITI CHAUDHARY D/O UMACHARN CHAUDHARY, 13 yrs old the another is SHANTI GHOSH D/O PROF. DEBENDRA NATH GHOSE, 13 yrs old, both resident of Comilla and both are student of 8^th class of Faizunisan Girl High school. “]Shanti & Suniti are studying in a local school. This is the time when Indians are fighting for independence. Shanti is singer with a golden voice although Suniti is captain of a Volunteers Corp of girls’ students. In the beginning, they do not know the meaning of Ghulami & Ajadi. Shanti from her father & Suniti from her elder brother Sishir, learnt about Jatin Das, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, Surjya Sen, Subhash Chandra Bose & other revolutionaries. Rest they come to know from Prafulla Brahma, their senior school mate. They get inspire to join the Jugantar group at the initiative of Prafulla.

Umacharan Chaudhary, father of Sishir & Suniti, is a government servant in collector office. He is very loyal to British Collector Mr. Steven, that’s why he dislikes the revolutionary activities of young boys of the town and he doesn’t want that his son Sishir ever gets in touch with them. He wants to send him to London to become a Barrister but Sishir wants to die for motherland and not to become a barrister. Because of this reason, there is always a misunderstanding between the father & son. Father wants that son should leave the anti British activities; whereas Son wants that father should leave the job of British government.

Professor Debendranath Ghose, father of Shanti, is a patriotic person. He likes Gandhi ji and other revolutionaries. He is trying to make a peace committee joint with Hindus & Muslims to resolve the communal problems. Collector Steven comes to know about it and he thinks it is better if Hindus & Muslims fight with each other. He orders to stop this meeting; hence Police comes there and starts lathi charge. Shanti is also with her father to attend this meeting. Her father gets seriously injured and dies after few months.

Akhil Nandi is a senior leader of Comilla Jugantar group. Sishir Chaudhary, elder brother of Suniti, is a trusted & valued lieutenant of group while Biren Bhattacharji is a sharp shooter and a good trainer of arms. Prafulla Brahma is a school student and is a close associate of group. This group organizes a big demonstration after the death of Jatin Das in September 1929 and when they heard about the news of Chittogong uprising by Masterda on 18^th April 1930, they plan to do it in Comilla also and to purchase the arms; they organize a Post Office robbery.

On 23^rd March 1931, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru & Sukhdev hanged in Lahore jail. Very soon this news flashed all over India and at Comilla. Akhil & group decide to take the revenge of the death of 3 martyrs and plan to kill three British officers. They choose Collector Steven, Superintendent of Police & Distt Intelligence Officer. Some members of the group reject this decision and give up the group. The group gets divided but Akhil & Biren soon take decision to do it. When they are planning to kill, a boy of the separated group discloses it to Collector Steven. Due to this, all three officers stop to come out from their houses and start official work from their houses. This becomes a problem for the group and soon they get a new trouble that Collector Steven is going to be transferred on 20 December 1931. Somebody suggests that if any girl can go for the action….but which girl…

It’s Shanti & Suniti, who become ready to do it and accept it as a great call to dedicate their young life at alter of the motherland. Sishir does not want that his sister would go for direct action but later he agrees. Suniti & Shanti get training of Rifle-Shooting in secret in the nearby hills. They get selected for the murder of CGB Steven, Superintendent of Police & Distt Intelligence Officer at same day. Unhesitatingly, smilingly and bravely, they respond to it. Except Sishir, no one of the family member of Shanti & Suniti knows what they are going to do. The two girls approached Collector, Mr. Steven, in his bungalow with a petition of permission for a swimming club. On meeting face to face with Collector, they fired at him. Collector Steven dies on the spot.The first bullet from Suniti and second from Shanti’s revolver shoot him die. In the midst, panic and confusion that followed, the two girls gets apprehend & mercilessly beaten. This heroic action of two young girls thrilled the country from one corner to the other. Their unusual claim, serenity and cheerfulness seen all through their under trial days in the prison and in the court, struck one and all with wonder. All the time they sing and laugh, they expect to die a martyr’s death, but in view of their tender age, they are given the sentence of life imprisonment. Though a bit disappointed, they take the judgment cheerfully & bravely and enter the portals of the prison house, singing aloud Poet Nazurul’s famous song “OH BREAK DOWN THOSE IRON BARS! BURN AWAY ALL THESE PRISON HOUSES!”