Draft:Satyendra Narayan Mazumdar

Early Life

Satyendra Narayan Majumdar was born in October 1910 in Mathabhanga, a town in the princely state of Cooch Behar. After the death of his father in 1920, he moved to Siliguri, where his elder brother was already established as a practicing lawyer.

Chalk in hand

In early 1927, Satyendra Narayan Majumdar appeared for the entrance examination. During this time, he met Madhu Dutta, a young man of the same age who had come from Chittagong. Madhu was a member of a secret revolutionary group headquartered in Chittagong. Inspired by Madhu's ideals, Satyendra joined the group. Although the group was associated with the Jugantar, it operated independently.

Anushilan

Satyendra Narayan Majumdar enrolled in Rajshahi College, where he met Biren Dutta, a student from Jalpaiguri who served as the secretary of the hostel union. During his time at the college, Satyendra began considering the idea of affiliating the Siliguri Samiti with the Anushilan Samiti to strengthen their revolutionary efforts. To further this goal, he invited Biren to Siliguri to hold discussions with Madhu Dutta and convince him of the potential benefits of aligning their group with the Anushilan Samiti.

Satyendra Narayan Majumdar also contested the Rajshahi College Students' Union elections, representing his class. According to Biren Dutta, his candidacy was supported and selected by the Anushilan Samiti, reflecting their growing influence within the student community. This marked Satyendra's deeper involvement in both student leadership and the revolutionary movement.

Under the leadership of Biren Dutta, Satyendra Narayan Majumdar attended the All Bengal Students' Conference in 1928. The conference, chaired by Jawaharlal Nehru, left a lasting impression on Satyendra and his peers. They were particularly fascinated by Nehru's vision of internationalism, which emphasized global solidarity and the interconnectedness of anti-colonial struggles worldwide. This experience further deepened Satyendra's ideological commitment to the revolutionary cause.

During the second conference of the All Bengal Students Association (ABSA), when a split occurred due to the formation of the Bengal Provincial Students Association (BPSA) led by the Jugantar group, Satyendra Narayan Majumdar chose to remain with ABSA. By the third ABSA conference, he was elected as one of its vice presidents. Using this platform, Satyendra established a unit in Siliguri, naming it the Darjeeling District Students Association to expand the revolutionary network.

In 1932, Satyendra served as the interim president of ABSA. On January 26, he led a march to commemorate Independence Day, openly defying Section 144 at Clive Street in Kolkata. Raising the tricolor, he boldly shouted slogans such as "Vande Mataram," "Inquilab Zindabad," "Down Down Union Jack," and "Up Up National Flag."

The protest was met with a violent lathi charge by British sergeants, forcing the students to retreat to the verandahs of Writers' Building. Satyendra and others were eventually arrested and taken to Hare Street Police Station, then transferred to Lalbazar lockup at midnight. The next day, they were presented before the magistrate at Bankshall Court, where they were sentenced to six months of imprisonment for their defiance. Some of the students, including Satyendra Narayan Majumdar, were classified as second-class prisoners. On the day , they were kept in a small civil jail near the Presidency Jail. The following evening, they were transferred to Alipur Central Jail. After a night, they were ultimately moved to the Dum Dum Special Jail.

To utilise the prison days the student leader's set up study circles, debates etc for other inmates. A "students parliament" came into existence, Prof. Bijoy Bhattacharjee was made the speaker. For debates purpose, several groups were formed such as Conservative, Liberal and Radicals. Satyendra led the Radicals. The Radicals eventually renamed to Communists.

After serving six months in prison, Satyendra Narayan Majumdar was released and moved to Calcutta, where he rented a room in a modest hotel on Corvallis Street. Soon after his arrival, he was entrusted with responsibilities by the Kolkata Anushilan Samiti. Following orders from the leaders of Anushilan, Satyendra was instructed to distance himself from open politics and operate underground. As per the party's command, he reduced his involvement in ABSA.

Prison days

On January 2, 1933, Satyendra Narayan Majumdar was arrested under the Bengal Criminals Conspiracy Act (BCCA) and moved to Presidency Jail the next day, alongside Sushital Roychowdhury and Bijoy Modak. They were accused in the Inter-Provincial Conspiracy Case.

In Presidency Jail, Satyendra and fellow prisoners from various groups, influenced by communism, observed May Day together, expressing solidarity with the workers' movement.

When Satyendra Narayan Majumdar was presented before the district judge, the judge concluded that he should be detained for a longer period. He was then moved to Jessore Jail on false charges of possessing smuggled goods. After spending two months in Jessore, he was transferred to Alipur Central Jail on August 1.

On May 1, 1935, Majumdar faced court for the final time. Nine individuals were sentenced to seven years in prison. Satyendra and six others were sent to Midnapore Central Jail shortly after the verdict. Later, Satyendra and two others were transferred to Rajshahi Central Jail.

They were transferred from the gates of Alipur Central Jail to Kalapani, or Andaman Cellular Jail, in September 1936.

Initially inclined towards communism, Majumdar did not immediately join the communist consolidation. However, in July 1937, he, along with fellow prisoners from the Inter-Provincial Conspiracy Case and Anushilanites, became part of the consolidation. He took part in hunger strikes, which successfully secured several demands. In January 1938, he was transferred from Cellular Jail to Alipur Central Jail, where he had a conversation with Gandhi about their potential release. A few days later, he and others were moved to Dum Dum Special Jail.

According to the jail records, Majumdar's release was scheduled for June 7, 1941. However, on June 6, the jail authorities informed him that he would remain detained under the Defence of India Act. Afterward, Majumdar was shifted to Hijli Jail, and about a year later, to Midnapore Central Jail. Before his release, he was transferred to Dum Dum Central Jail, from where he was finally released on September 15, 1945.