Home > Indian History > History of India > Ananta Singh
Ananta Singh
Ananta Singh was an Indian freedom fighter who participated in the well known Chittagong Armoury Raid Case in the year 1930, under the leadership of Surya Sen.

Share this Article:

Ananta Singh, Indian RevolutionaryAnanta Singh, also known as Ananta Lal Singh, was one of the prominent Indian freedom fighters and a revolutionary as well. He was a member of the armed resistance movement that was led by Master- Da Surya Sen. He was amongst the foremost members of the Indian Republican Army that was a revolutionary group in Chittagong included various Indian revolutionaries and Indian freedom fighters who conducted and participated in the well known Chittagong Armoury Raid Case in the year 1930. Later, Ananta Singh founded a far-left radical communist group which was known as the Revolutionary Communist Council of India. It was a communist group located in Calcutta (now Kolkata) that existed during the early 1970s.

Early Life of Ananta Singh
Ananta Lal Singh was born to father Golap Singh on 1st December 1903 in Chittagong, which is currently a port city, as well as a commerce and industry hub in southeastern Bangladesh. His moved from Agra and settled in the region of Chittagong. Ananta Singh Master- Da Surya Sen while he was studying in the Chittagong Municipal School. Eventually he became a follower of Surya Sen and joined his revolutionary group.

Revolutionary Activities of Ananta Singh
Ananta Singh took active participation in the Non-cooperation movement in the year 1921 and with this his involvement in the Indian freedom struggle began. He inspired his friends in school to join the Indian freedom struggle but he himself did not have much faith in the revolutionary movement. On 14 December 1923, Nirmal Sen and Ananta Singh guided the robbery at the treasury office of the Assam Bengal Railway. This was carried out according to the plan devised by Master Da Surya Sen. After the robbery they clashed with the British Indian police on 24 December. He escaped from the area after the train robbery and went to Calcutta (now Kolkata), where he stayed at Sandwip for a short while. Singh was detained by the British Police in Calcutta but was soon released. He was later arrested again in the year 1924 and imprisoned for around 4 years.

After Ananta Singh was released from prison, he established a gymnasium and recruited several youths to become a member of the Indian Republican Army to participate in the revolutionary movement led by Surya Sen. Singh was one of the major participants in the Chittagong Armoury Raid Case, which was one of the most astounding and valiant revolutionary endeavors in the history of the Indian freedom struggle that was devised by the youths of the region. The attack was conducted on 18th April 1930 to raid the armoury of police and auxiliary forces from the Chittagong in Bengal province during the rule of the British Empire in India.

After the failure of the Chittagong raid, he escaped to Chandernagore (Chandannagar), which was still a French territory. But after knowing that his fellow revolutionaries were tortured in jail, he surrendered to the British police in Calcutta (now Kolkata) on 28 June 1930. After the trial, Ananta Singh was sentenced to transportation for life and moved to the Cellular Jail, Port Blair. In the year 1932, Ananta Lal Singh was brought back to a mainland jail, along with several of his fellow revolutionaries. This was done due to the efforts of Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi. After he was released from prison in the year 1946, Singh joined the Communist Party of India.

Literary Works of Ananta Singh
Ananta Singh composed a number of revolutionary literary works. His autobiography, Keu Bale Dakat, Keu Bale Biplabi, meaning Some Call Me a Robber, Some Call Me a Revolutionary, was perhaps his most popular and controversial work. His other noteworthy works include Ami Sei Meye (I am that Girl), Surya Sener Svapna O Sadhana (Dream and Austerities of Surya Sen), Agnigarbha Chattagram (Chittagong on Fire), Masterda on Surya Sen and Chattagram Yubabidroha (Youth Revolution in Chittagong), which was published in 2 volumes.

Later Life of Ananta Singh
After the country achieved independence from the British Government in the year 1947, Ananta Singh founded a new far left political group, named the Revolutionary Communist Council of India in Calcutta during the late 1960s. The members of the revolutionary group held several bank robberies in (now Kolkata) to raise funds for the purchase of arms and ammunitions. Later he was arrested along with the other members of the group from a forest near Jaduguda in modern day Jharkhand state in the year 1969. Ananta Singh was imprisoned until 1977. He was suffered from cardiac problems and later died on 25th January 1979.


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in History of India

History of Indian Drama
History of Indian Drama is rich with Vedas and Indian epics and has gradually changed with time and remains unaffected by any foreign influence.
History of Khajuraho Temple
Located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is country’s most magnificent groups of temples.
History of Ayurveda
History of Ayurveda dates back to 5,000 years old and is widely considered to be the oldest form of health care in the world.
History of Uttar Pradesh
The state was the heart of Mahabharata war and the history of Uttar Pradesh is very much the history of India. The place finds its mentions in Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
History of Indian Photography
An overview of the development of photography, through the various stages in India.
History of Delhi
History of Delhi began with the advent of Indian regal dynasties. Delhi witnessed the rise and fall of Hindu dynasties, Muslims and the British as well.
History of Indian Radio
History of Indian Radio dates back to late 1930s with the first establishment of All India Radio in 1936 that improved further after independence.
History of Punjab
History of Punjab dates back to the 16th century; however its formation is traced in the great epic Mahabharata.
History Of Archaeology In India
History of archaeology in India contributes a lot to define the past history and the social life of India.
History of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, the land of charismatic Marathas, unfolds the legend of diverse culture and tradition, keeping in pace with the modernity. The gallant history of Maharashtra is still echoed amidst its historical relics and archeological wonders.
History of Kerala
History of Kerala can be interpreted from the inscriptions of Ashoka, Mauryan Emperor. History of Kerala is as interesting as its wide-ranging geographical features that make the land a place of versatile appeal.
History of Bihar
History of Bihar goes back to the very dawn of the human civilizations. Many eminent personalities and leaders from Bihar contributed for India’s freedom struggle.
History of Assam
In the ancient Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Assam was known as `Kamarupa` or `Pragjyotish`. In the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Tantras there are references of Assam as Kamrupa kingdom.
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands dates back to the settlement of the East India Company in the territory of the Islands.
History of West Bengal
History of West Bengal is rooted in richness and is an important episode in the history of India. The history of Bengal played an important role in shaping the history of India.
History of Jharkhand
One of the fairly newer states, Jharkhand was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. The history of Jharkhand is seeped with a variety of cultural significances starting from the Vedic era to Mughal period and finally the British administration.
History of Sikkim
History of Sikkim declares the pre historic culture and the colonial era hilly politics and the rules of Sikkim.
History of Nagaland
The history of Nagaland mainly revolves around and deals with the customs and economic activities of the Naga Tribes and how the state has evolved since the Indian Independence.
History of Mizoram
History of Mizoram includes the various historical events and incidents which occurred during the various ages, right from before the age of the Mughals.
History of Jammu & Kashmir
History of Jammu and Kashmir involves a series of political and geographical transformations from every ancient era to the modern times also. Even now, Jammu and Kashmir has its political tension between Pakistan and India.
History of Puducherry
Puducherry was invaded by different invaders in different times. The invaders include Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram, dynasties of the South, Cholas of Thanjavur, Pandyas and Muslim invaders.
History of Chandigarh
In 1947, the British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Punjab was also included in this partition. So, there was a need for a new capital for Punjab, as the old capital Lahore became part of Pakistan during the partition. So, in 1948, under the leadership of chief architect Mr. P.L. Verma the construction of Chandigarh city began.
History of Daman and Diu
During the early stage, i.e. from 8th to 13th century, Daman and Diu was part of Goa.
History of Lakshadweep
History of Lakshadweep defines the first settlement on these islands under the Union Territory of India that was ruled by Cheraman Perumal, who was the last king of Kerala.
History of Karnataka
History of Karnataka comprised of the different rulers of different dynasties of various religions like Hindus, Buddhists, and later the Muslims.
History of Goa
History of Goa dates back to the 3rd century BC and reflects the rule of the mighty rulers and gained its independence under Jawaharlal Nehru.
History of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh possesses a rich historical heritage of culture of the ancient tribes. Being a bordering state of India, Arunachal Pradesh also has a history of military unrest since ancient Indian age.
History of Andhra Pradesh
History of Andhra Pradesh traces its origin back to the 5th century BC. According to the inscriptions, Kuberaka, the oldest Kingdom in South India had an empire in the coastal Andhra during that period.
History of Himachal Pradesh
History of Himachal Pradesh narrates about the various settlements and dynasties that emerged in the region over time.
History of Uttarakhand
History of Uttarakhand finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manaskhand and Himavat. Uttarakhand is called as the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines.
History of Rajasthan
The history of Rajasthan is dotted with tales of valor, chivalry, camaraderie and romance.
History of Tamil Nadu
History of Tamil Nadu reveals that this ancient place in South India was ruled by various kingdoms like the Pandyas Dynasty, Cholas Dynasty, Nayakas Dynasty and Pallavas Dynasty.
History of Haryana
History of Haryana depicts various events and influences that have cast a profound effect on the culture and people of the district. The place gained statehood on 1st of November 1966
History of Odisha
History of Odisha goes back a rather long way. Most of the history of the state is replete with the dynastic as well as tribal struggle for territorial superiority. Odisha is a place where one can find the religion, culture and history flow in away that lead to cultural amalgamation of early India.
History of Manipur
History of Manipur can be traced back to the prehistoric ages and this was followed by a number of rulers who reigned the land from age to age till it came under British rule and later joined the union of India.
History of Gujarat
History of Gujarat can be dated back to the 14th century that later witnessed the supremacy of many powerful dynasties.
History of Tripura
History of Tripura is dealing with the early mythological history and the history of British rule in North eastern part of India.
History of Meghalaya
The history of Meghalaya predominantly comprises of the three tribes of the state- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes. Later on Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam.
History of Chhattisgarh
History of Chhattisgarh dates back to the era of epics and traces through the reign of powerful dynasties in India like Marathas. The area developed a rich cultural heritage during British era.