Comrade Ila Mitra: A tribute [Part II]

- Ajoy Roy

 

Torture on Ila Mitra

As we told in our last posting that Ila Mitra with some of her close comrades and hundreds of her Saontal followers was arrested at Rohanpur Railway station. She was brought to Nachol police station on the next day, 08. 01. 50. From 8 � 10th January she was not only inhumanly treated but was exposed to all kinds of brutal torture committed by the Sub Inspector of Nachol with his sepoy accomplices. The process and methods of repression and torture are beastly and totally devoid of any human values and touch. She was treated like worse than an animal. To what limit police excess could reach - torture carried on comrade Ila Mitra could be cited for all time. It is a glaring example how a civilized government use its sate machinery to the extreme brutality to torture its own citizen in the name of extracting confession. The treatment and torture she had received at the hands of police under the leadership of S.I. of Nachol had no parallel yet in the history of Pakistani repression on accused. The vivid picture of those tortures she received from the government of the Islamic State of Pakistan was given by her at the Rajshahi Court. The form and kind of torture had no limit- it exceeds all imagination. I cite a few below as examples.

 

  • Physical torture � beating , pressing hands & legs in between two bamboo sticks 
  • Beating on heads with rifle butt and kicking delicate parts of the body with boots on
  • Stripping of cloth followed by beating on naked body
  • Starvation
  • Even drinking water denied
  • Solitary confinement within a cell
  • Piercing iron nails through heels
  • Pushing foreign body in her private parts
  • Raping
  • Insulting remarks

Comrade Mitra had gone through mental agony, pain and physical strains in Nachol police station for three days.

    On 10th January �50 she was brought to Nawabganj in almost semi unconscious sate with high fever and bleeding condition. At the Nawabganj police jail gate the sepoys received her with blows on her forehead. She however here received much better treatment compared what happened at Nacho. She got medical treatment and finally was transferred to Nawabganj Govt. hospital on 12. 01. 50 as is evident from her jabanbandi (statement). The OC of Nawabganj Ps, happened to know Ila Mitra at Calcutta. He treated her well and looked after her so that no such brutal oppression was repeated here. Ila Mitra later on remembered his kind behavior with gratitude. She later on recalled : � the OC of that police station Mr. Raham knew me. When I was studying at Bethune he was a student of Scottish Church College. My fever at that ran very high. Blood was streaming out from my whole body. Under such condition I was left alone in a cell. OC Mr. Rahman used come at night unnoticed and used to pour water on my head and freshened me up; he also feed me with fruits. I shall never forget his greatness. I was there at Nawabganj for 7 days. Every night throughout seven days he nursed me with care and love and gave medicine. Otherwise I would have died there. Many came inside the cell to beat me up, but he sternly resisted all saying that she was under trial and no one should raise any hand on her.� The attending doctor Mr. Ayub Ali was also very sympathetic to her. Even then on 16th January she was forcibly take to a house to sing a blank paper under threat and physical torture.

 

Communal tension: hunger strike of the security prisoners

     As the condition of comrade Mitra continued to deteriorate she was brought to Rajshahi Central jail in a very poor state of health on 21. 01. 50 and was directly admitted to Rajshahi Central Jail Hospital. The matter did not end there the attempt was being made at the instance of ML government to colour the Nachol rebellion as Hindu-Muslim conflict in which the Hindus and Saontals deliberately killed the Muslims including A.S.I of Nachol. The widow of the deceased was brought to Rajshahi jail gate by the interested quarters that used to narrate a false and concocted story about Nachol killing. She tried to excite the common prisoners and sepoys that her husband was killed by the Hindus and Saontals. So they must take revenge against the Hindu prisoners particularly those who were accused of Nachol episode. The jailor Mannan played a significant role in this matter. Often he used to bring Ila Mitra from jail hospital at the gate almost in a half naked condition showing her to the prisoners � Look at your Rani Ma. She even became a queen. � This created a tense communal situation inside Rajshahi jail among the prisoners. For this reason the Hindu security prisoners dared not to come out of their wards during those days.

     Seeing no alternatives the security prisoners submitted a memorandum to the chief minister Nurul Amin giving him a 15 days ultimatum to ease communal tension in side the jail- otherwise they would go for hunger strike to redress the situation. As nothing was heard from the chief minister the security prisoners resort to hunger strike from 2nd February �50. On the ninth day ( 10th  February) the district magistrate came to see the conditions of hunger strikers and assured them that the administration was taking appropriate steps to ease the tension and bring back normalcy. Since the wife of the deceased ASI stopped coming at the jail gate and jailor Manna was cautioned for his communal utterances.                    

 

Famous Jail Killing at Khapra Ward

     After some time Ila Mitra was brought to Rajshahi central jail from the hospital in a relatively slight better condition. She was put in a small cell in a sick condition. The security prisoners already came to know about her and Nachol rebellion. Ila Mitra also came to know the conditions of the security prisoners and common prisoners for the better of which the prisoners were making demands. These demands of the general prisoners for improvement of their diet and supported by the security prisoners, who began a hunger strike on 5th April �50 in support of the common prisoners� demands. This ultimately led to the history-famous jail killing in Khapra Ward on 24th April. The sepoys opened fire when the jail superintendent Mr. Bill accompanied by the jailor and two deputy jailors came to visit the jail. On the day seven security prisoners, Hanif Shaikh, Sukhen Bahattacharya, Delwar, Sudhin Dhar, Bijan Sen, Kamparam Singha, and Anwar Hosain died on the spot. There were 31 security prisoners in all out of which seven met death and many others received serious injuries including Mansur Habib, Nurunnabi Choudhury, Abdul Haque, Amulya Lahiri, Babar Ali and Abdus Shahid.   

 

Nachol Case Initiate Opened at Rajshahi Court

     In November 1950 the case of killing ASI of Nachol was formally opened at the court of first class magistrate Mr. Ahmad Mian. There were 31 accused of which most prominent of course was comrade Ila Mitra. Others were: Animesh Lahiri, Azahar Shaikh, Brindaban Saha, Sukra Kamar, Renga Bali, Sukh Bilas Singha, Chatur Majhi, Yadu Majhi, Chhanu Majhi, Bhadu Mandal alias Bhadu Barman, Dulu Majhi, Upen Koch, Mangla Mandal, Indria Morsu, Suren Barman, Toton Majhi, Lalo Ray, Skifem Majhi, Gopal Singha, Mohanta Mallik, Syfal Majhi, Deben Ray, Smay Yaren, Kishan Tadu, Chinu Ray, Khoka Ray, Nagen Sardar, Durga Bakshi. Later on out 31 last eight were dropped making the list of 23 accused. Comrade Mitra remembered the event in this manner :

 � After medical treatment for more than a year as I recovered slightly- I was attacked with Malaria and Kalajar. At that time if I were not properly taken care of by Manoroma Masima and Lily I would have not survived. When I resumed the strength the trial began. As I still could not walk properly I had to go to the court in horse driven cart with police protection. The very day I returned from the court I forcibly entered the female ward the general female prisoners and security prisoners lived. Since then I did not return to the solitary cell. Other security prisoners also helped me in this respect, otherwise I could not had stayed there. I found many security prisoners in the ward among whom I still remember Manoroma Basu, Pultul Dasgupta, Sujata Dasgupta � all of Barisal, Bhanu Devi of Khulna, Lili Chakraborty of Pabna, Amita Datta, Susama Devi, Aparna Roy Choudhury of Sylhet, Bhdra Mani Hajang and Arsa Manigupta of Mymensingh and Rekha of Naogaon � in total 14. They all tried to help me surviving and keeping my strength to face the trial. Although the case was initiated on November 1950- it�s hearing started on January 1951. A noted lawyer of Rajshahi bar Mr. Biren Sarkar and others defended her case.

     Manoroma Masima insisted that she must give a vivid statement what happened at Nachol police station. Bhanu Devi cautioned her if she did not disclose the full truth of torture on her body including sexual violence she would recommend to the party leadership for discontinuing Ila�s membership. All her co prisoners including the common prisoners encouraged her to tell the truth. Inspired by their advice she decided the give a statement of full truth even at the cost of her personal and family honour. She admitted although she was a communist but still then as a Hindu girl she was in a dilemma and was confused. She faced immense difficulty to overcome the social barrier. Finally he spoke out the whole truth of the event.      

     We reproduce below the statement she gave before the court of Rajshahi, perhaps on the very first day when the court proceeding started at Rajshahi in January 1951. 

 

Statement of Comrade Ila Mitra before Rajshahi Court in January 1951

 

 

How Humanity Attacked Under

Liakat � Nurul Amin Regime ?

Below is the statement of Sm. ILA MITRA made before the court at Rajshahi to inhuman treatment meted out to a lady, only because she holds a political opinion other than that of Liakat-Nurul Amin Feudal class: -

Sm. Ila Mitra in bar statement pleading �not guilty� to the charges said ;

            I know nothing about the case. On 7-1-50 last I was arrested in Rohanpur and taken to Nachole the next day. The police guards assaulted me on the way and thereafter I was taken inside a cell. The S.I. threatened to make me naked if I did not confess everything about the murder. As I had nothing to say, all my garment were taken away and I was imprisoned inside the cell in stark naked condition

            No food was given to me, not even a drop of water. The same day in the evening the sepoys began to beat me on the head with butt ends of their guns, in the presence of S.I. I was profusely bleeding through nose. Afterwards my garments were returned to me, and about 12 midnight I was taken out of the cell and lead possibly to the quarters of the S.I., but I was not certain.

            In that room where I was taken they tried brutal methods to bring out confession. My legs were pressed between bamboo sticks, and the people around me were saying, I was being administered a �Pakistani injection�. When this torture going on they tied my mouth with a napkin. They also pulled off my hairs, but as they could not force me to say anything. I was taken back to the cell carried by the sepoys, as after the torture it was not possible for me to walk.

            Inside the cell again the S.I. ordered the sepoys to bring four hot eggs, and said, now she will talk. Thereafter four or five sepoys forced me to lie down on my back, and one pushed a hot egg through my private parts. I was feeling like being burnt with fire, and became unconscious.

            When I came back to my senses in the morning of 9 � 1- 50, the S.I. and some sepoys came into my cell and began to kick me on the belly with boots on. Thereafter a nail was pierced through my right heel. I was then lying half conscious, and heard the S.I. muttering : �We are coming again at night, and if you do not confess, one by one the sepoys will ravish you. At dead of night, the S.I. and his sepoys came back and the threat was repeated. But as I still refused to say anything, three or four men got hold of me, and a sepoy sexually began to rape me. Shortly afterwards I became unconscious.

            Next day on 10-1-50 when I became conscious again, I found that I was profusely bleeding and my cloth was drenched in blood. I was in that state taken to Nawabganj from Nachole. The sepoys in Nawabganj jail gate received me with smart blows.

I was then in a prostate condition and the Court Inspector and some sepoys carried me to a cell. I had high fever then and I was still bleeding. A doctor, possibly from the Govt. Hospital at Nawabganj had noted the temperature of my body to be 105 o. When he heard from me of profuse bleeding I had he assured me, I would be treated with the help of a woman nurse. I was given some medicine and two pieces of rugs.

On 11-1-50 the woman nurse of the Govt. Hospital examined me. I do not know what report she gave about my condition. After she came, the blood stained piece of cloth I was wearing was changed for a clean one. During all this time I was in a cell of the Nawabganj PS under the treatment of doctor. I had high fever and profuse bleeding. and was unconscious from time to time.

On 11-1-50 a stretcher was brought before my cell in the evening and I was told that I would have to go elsewhere for examination, on my protest that I was too ill to move about, I was struck with a stick and forced to get on the stretcher after which I was carried on it to another house. I told nothing there, but the sepoys forced me a sign a blank paper. I was at time in a semi-conscious state with high fever. I was next day transferred to the Nawabganj Govt. Hospital, and on 21-1-50 when the state of my health was still very precarious, I was brought from Nawabganj to Rajshahi Central jail, and was admitted to the jail hospital.

I had not under any circumstances said anything to the police, and I have nothing to say than I have stated above.                       

 

 NB: The statement was issued in Bengali. As it was not published in any dailies, it was translated into English and was circulated throughout East Bengal as an Istahar (Pamphlet) during early 1950.

     The worst parts of torture were of sexual violence. It had two kinds: (i) forcibly pushing a hot egg inside her vaginal channel and  (ii) violent raping by a sepoy. Both these offensive action were imparted at the instruction and presence of S.I. of Nachol. Let us hear the experience and feeling of such terrible torture from her own words in Bengali :

                  

 This happened on 8th January in the evening inside a cell at Nachol Ps.

 

  This happened on the night of 9th January, 1950 inside a cell at Nachol Ps.

     End of Part II ( to be continue )

Part-3

 

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