Ullaskar Dutta was a nationalist and a revolutionary associated with Anushilan Samiti and Jugantar of Bengal and was a close associate of Barindranath Ghosh.

Ullaskar Dutta – Unsung Hero of Alipore Bomb Case

Ullaskar Dutta was a nationalist and a revolutionary associated with Anushilan Samiti and Jugantar of Bengal and was a close associate of Barindranath Ghosh. Ullaskar took part in revolutionary activities, including the swadeshi movement following the partition of Bengal (1905).

Early Life of Ullaskar Dutta

Ullaskar was born on 16 April 1885 in the village of Kalikaccha, Brahmanbaria (present-day Bangladesh). His father Dwijadas Duttagupta was a member of the Brahmo Samaj and had a degree in Agriculture from the University of London.

In 1903, after passing the entrance examination, he took admission to the Presidency College, Kolkata. He was rusticated from the college for hitting a British professor, Professor Russell, who made some sarcastic remark about Bengalis.

Revolutionary Activities

Ullaskar, during this time, used the false name of ‘Abhiram’. Ullaskar was a member of the Jugantar party. He became an expert in bomb-making. Khudiram Bose used a bomb made by Ullaskar and Hem Chandra Das in an attempt to murder Kingsford, the venerable magistrate.

The police caught Ullaskar on this charge on 2 May from his hideout at Muraripukur Bagan. On the very next day Mr. Kennedy, a barrister, and his wife were shot and killed at Muzaffarpur. All these incidents provoked the whole British community living in Bengal.

Trial, Sentence, and Cellular Jail

Cellular Jail, commonly known as Kalapani, is a jail in Port Blair, Andaman
Cellular Jail (Kalapani)

Ullaskar, along with Khudiram and Barindranath Ghosh, was sentenced to death in the Maniktala (Alipur) Bomb Case. Khudiram was executed on 11 August, the charge against Ullaskar Datta, was minimized to transportation for life. Ullaskar was deported to the Andaman’s Cellular Jail together with Barindranath Ghosh in 1909. 

Ullaskar was subjected to brutal torture in the Cellular Jail. It is said that he lost his mental balance. He was set free in 1920 and he returned to Kolkata.

Later Life of Ullaskar Dutta

In 1931, Ullaskar was again arrested and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. When colonial rule ended in 1947, he returned to his home village Kalikachha. After a lonely life of 10 years, he returned to Kolkata in 1957. 

After returning to Kolkata, he married his childhood friend Lila, daughter of Bipin Chandra Pal. At that time she was a physically challenged widow. They went to Silchar, Cachar District of Assam, and spent his later life there. He died on 17 May 1965.

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