Mother trained daughter how to hang herself

Aratiprova Sur Roy, Father Sri Ananta Kumar Roy, Vill.-Panchgharia, P.S.-Ramganj, Dist.-Noakhali, 14 Ramnarainpur.

Two days after Laxmi Puja, Rajkumar Pal of our village was beheaded & his house was set on fire. From that time forth the Muslims of our village began to threaten us that Muslims of other village would behead us. If you agree to give marriage of your daughter with Jillur Rahim (Kadira) and be converted to Muslim, we shall save your life. At first we disagreed; all the members of our family decided to commit suicide rather than be killed at the hands of muslims and lose our dignity. The elders were ready to die by hanging and the juniors by taking poisoned root of Karabi. We were taught how to hang oneself and my mother handed over rope to my hand. It is everyone’s bitter feeling in what situation a mother advises her child to get ready for dying. I bowed, to my mother before taking last farewell. Then clasping me mother said, “you will be born again as my daughter in the next birth—this is my blessing”.

When I was about to hang myself, then the muslims rushed to kill us with swords in hand. Then we lost the way of ending ourselves. Finding no other alternative, my father agreed to give the hands of his daughter in marriage and embrace muslim religion. On that very day we were taken to muslim’s house and all were converted to muslim, practising muslim rituals. On that very day I was married with Rahim Chowdhury (Kadira). I was not previously acquainted with this boy. The marriage being over, I was kept confined in muslim house and tempting with different things and at the point of dagger that boy forcibly raped me.

A few days after this, the S.P. came from Noakhali. Then the boy taught me to say that I embraced muslim religion willingly and married as well. If I did not say, he would kill me—so saying he showed me dagger. S.P. asked me, “Have you married of your own accord? Was there any coercion?” I said, I have willingly married; there was no coercion”. For fear of life I was compelled to say such words. I did not marry of my own accord. My father gave consent to give marriage lest my relatives should be killed. The SP directed me to give in writing that I willingly married and am willing to stay here.

Then I gave him written declaration. That Jillur Rahim as well got a written declaration from me. At first I refused to write. Then the boy brought a dagger to kill me. In fear I wrote but what I wrote I can not recall. The boy has directed the written matter and I have written. 5/6 days after, the Magistrate came. The boy informed me that Magistrate had come to ask me. You will say—I have become a Muslim, put on veil. You come at night. Thereafter you say—I have married willingly and desire to stay here. Thereafter I was brought before the Magistrate. The Magistrate asked, “Do you want to stay here? If your life becomes happy here you can confess without fear.

Then my uncle and father were with them. Seeing my uncle, father with the Magistrate I became courageous. I refused to stay there and came back with the Magistrate. It is my guess that I was confined for 14/15 days. When I was forcibly taken away from my house, in the contingent there were Loni Mian Pandit, Jillur Rahim, Aminullah, Ismail and many others. I can identify them but am unable to tell the names.

Kumari Aratiprova Sur Roy

Book: 1946 : THE GREAT CALCUTTA KILLINGS AND NOAKHALI GENOCIDE, DINESH CHANDRA SINHA : ASHOK DASGUPTA
Source: Satchallisher Diary, Professor Nirmal Kumar Basu