Pahartali in Chattogram is no longer just a geographical location. It is a quiet monument of history – where the air itself seems to carry the scent of sacrifice and the echo of resistance. Time has changed, the surroundings have transformed, yet the memory refuses to fade.
It was here, on May 5, marking the 115th birth anniversary of revolutionary Pritilata Waddedar, that Prof. Dr. Ambrish Saxena of South Asian University, New Delhi, came to pay his respects. His act of laying a wreath at the Pritilata monument was not merely ceremonial – it was a gesture of deep reverence before history.
Prof. Dr. Ambrish Saxena, a distinguished academic from the Faculty of Arts and Design at South Asian University, is a media and history-focused researcher known for his interdisciplinary engagement with journalism, communication, and historical inquiry. Though not ethnically Bengali, he remains deeply connected to Bengal in spirit – an antapran Bengali in his admiration for its culture, history, and intellectual legacy. His work reflects a sustained commitment to exploring anti-colonial movements, preserving historical memory, and understanding how media shapes collective consciousness across South Asia.
Seen through the eyes of a researcher, this visit was not simply a journey. It was a dialogue between past and present. Standing before the European Club at Pahartali, his reflections return to us as a question: What are we building around this history today?
September 24, 1932. The attack on the European Club was not merely an armed operation – it was a blazing protest against humiliation. The infamous signboard – “Dogs and Indians Not Allowed” – stood as a symbol of colonial arrogance. Against this insult rose a young woman, Pritilata.
At just 21 years of age, she had before her a life full of promise – academic brilliance, intellectual depth, and limitless potential. From excelling in her matriculation at Dr. Khastagir Government Girls’ School to securing first place in the Dhaka Board at Eden College, and later graduating with distinction in Philosophy from Bethune College, her life was marked by exceptional achievement. Yet she chose a different path – the path of resistance, the path of sacrifice.
Joining the revolutionary group led by Masterda Surya Sen, she emerged as one of the boldest faces of the anti-colonial armed struggle. Leading the attack on the European Club, she was wounded in the encounter. Refusing to be captured and risk exposing her comrades, she consumed potassium cyanide and embraced martyrdom.
This was not merely death – it was a declaration. A final act of defiance that transcended fear, placing ideals above life itself. Her sacrifice once shook not only Chattogram but the entire Indian subcontinent. But the question remains: Do we still feel that tremor today?
Dr. Saxena’s visit brings that question back into focus. While in Chattogram to participate in an international workshop jointly organised by the Department of Communication and Journalism at the University of Chittagong, UNESCO MGIEP, and South Asian University, he took time to explore the city’s revolutionary heritage.
From Tigerpass to JM Sen Hall, from Dr. Khastagir Girls’ School to Jamal Khan – he walked through layers of history embedded in the city’s landscape. He expressed admiration, but also concern. Heritage, he emphasised, is not merely to be observed; it must be preserved, nurtured, and reinterpreted. Monuments, sculptures, and old structures are not just physical entities – they are vessels of a nation’s memory. To keep history alive, he stressed the need for research, films, documentaries, and digital archives; mediums that can connect younger generations to the past. When history is confined to textbooks, it slowly loses its vitality.
Chattogram was once known as a ‘pilgrimage of revolution.’ Its streets, hills, and structures still carry the imprints of an era of fire and resistance. Yet, the urgency lies in how seriously we choose to engage with that legacy today. The silence of Pahartali still speaks. Within that silence lies a call to remember, to preserve, and to reawaken history. Pritilata’s sacrifice is not an event of the past. It is a responsibility – ours, of this generation, and of those yet to come.
The writer is an Associate Professor, Communication and Journalism, University of Chittagong. Email: [email protected]
