CHAPTER 8

THE ASSEMBLY BOMB OUTRAGE

        On the eighth of April, 1929, the royal, city of Delhi witnessed one of the most colorful spectacles that it is ever destined to see, when two representatives of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association entered unnoticed the Assembly Chamber and threw two bombs towards the seats occupied by Government Officials. With deafening noise the bombs exploded and covered the room with dense smoke. The benches near which the bombs fell were broken to pieces, and a portion of the floor was also hollowed out. But, except for a few minor scratches, no one received any injury.

The scene presented by the Assembly Chamber immediately after the explosion beggars descriptions. There was a rush towards the adjoining room where gallant members fled as if pursued by the very devil. It was reported that even lavatories were not free from these gentlemen who sought refuge in every nook and corner of the building.

        Amidst these mirthful scenes a few members remained unnerved, foremost amongst whom were Pandit Moti Lal Nehru, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya and as truth must be spoken, Sir James Crerar. The visitors' gallery also presented a deserted appearance. But lo! towards this official benches, midway between the central gate and the ladies' gallery could be seen two young men, undaunted and calm, as if diving deep into a, vision of the future ! They are the two historic figures, Sardar Bhagat Singh and Sj. Batukeswar Dutt.

          The occasion for exploding the bombs on the floor of the Legislative Assembly Hall was also very important. Owing to a militant type of labour agitation in Bombay, and the success attending the agitation, the Government thought it advisable to hurry through the assembly a bill which would have worked as a Check to labour agitation.

         How Bhagat Singh and Dutt could enter the Council Chamber unobserved by the police sergeants posted at the gates has remained a mystery to the police. Their surprise will be the greater when they will learn that they got entrance not only on that particular date, but that they had been going into Assembly Hall for the last 3 or 4 days, as was the fact. This was possible for two reasons, first, because they were smartly  dressed in European costume, and as such, did not arouse suspicion; and second, because they had procured visitors' passes.  For three days continually, they went into the hall, with a fully charged bomb in one pocket and a loaded revolver in another.  They observed and waited for the most psychological moment, and when the time came, they calmly carried out their plan as if it was nothing more serious than lighting a match box.

We want to emphasize here the fact, that there was ample opportunity for both of them to make good their escape, if they  had so desired. It was part of; a deliberate plan that they calmly surrendered to the police and thereby consciously and willingly offered themselves, for that terrible penalty which was inevitable after the commission of an act of that nature.

    Each of them had a fully loaded revolver, and if they so wished, they could  have utilized these to kill many Government Officials who were running helter skelter in different directions. But they did nothing of the sort. They took out their revolvers, and before the eyes of the police sergeants who had hurried to the spot, put them down on the adjoining chairs. Then they shouted out, both together : "Long Live the Revolution," "Down with Imperialism," cries which were uttered for the first time in India by them and which soon became the universal cry of the youths of India. Simultaneously with these shouts they began to throw out bundles of a red leaf­let with the title, "The Hindusthan Socialist Republican Army" and a spirit­ed appeal typewritten on the red letter­head. These letter-heads were the same as were used on the occasion of the Saunders Murder Case. "It takes a loud voice to make the deaf hear," began the appeal, and quoting the instance of the French anarchist, Valliant, they justified their act, and urged: "Let the representatives of the people return to their constituencies and prepare the masses for the coming revolution."

        Immediately with the throwing out of these leaflets, two police sergeants and a number of constables arrived on the spot and took Bhagat Singh and Dutt into custody. But before they disappeared from the arena, they again shouted, "Long live the Revolution", and "Down with Imperialism", which reverberated through the hall and astonished the bewildered spectators.

[ The author added in its 1983 edition : Pt. Moti Lal Nehru had afterward remarked that the calm behavior  of the young men and their revolutionary slogans had impressed him profoundly.]

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