Barada Bhushan Chakraborty

Barada Bhushan Chakraborty (1901–1974) was a revolutionary peasant leader in Bangladesh.

Early years and education

Barada was born in Binyafair village, in the Tangail district of what is now Bangladesh in 1901. His father was a priest, Haragopal Chakraborty and mother, an educated lady (up to middle school), Soudamini Devi. Barada Bhushan married Ashalata, younger by 11 years, in 1922.

He studied primary classes in his village school and then moved to North Bengal's Dinajpur town to study in a middle school, 'Dinajpur Academy'. After his entrance examination, he went to Calcutta, and graduated in Arts from Vidyasagar College of Calcutta University; he received a post graduate degree from the Law College passing LLB. After obtaining the law degree he returned to Dinajpur and started practising in the Dinajpur Bar. (Subsequently, during his political detention for eight years (1930–1938), he passed his MA and also received the title, 'Pandit' after obtaining two degrees in Sanskrit scholastic, 'Rashtrabhasha Visharada' and 'Kavyatirtha' appearing for all the exams from jails.)

Political activism during British rule

At the outset Barada Bhushan Chakraborty was not inclined in political activities, except in one or two incidents, during his school days, when he responded to Gandhi's call. It all happened when, in late 1920s, his wife, Ashalata Chakraborty @Ashadi, younger brother, Kulada Prasad Chakraborty @ Neru and cousin, Satyabrata Chakraborty @ Satu along with their friend Hrishikesh Bhattacharya joined the armed revolutionary group, Anushilan Samity. These young people's activities started drawing him into the freedom struggle, initially slowly, but within a couple of years, he was completely involved, and became one of their leaders. In 1930 the 'Hili Station Mail Operation' was planned and executed, though unsuccessfully. Ashalata, Barada Bhushan, Satyabrata, Hrishikesh and others were arrested, Kulada Prasad fled to Mungher in Bihar. During the operation a coolie was injured by gun bullet and later died in a Calcutta hospital. The British government initiated a case calling it the Hili Mail Dacoity case. In the trial Barada Bhushan was jailed for eight years (1930–1938), Ashalata, among others got a lesser term (2 years), whereas Satyabrata and Hrishikesh were deported to Andaman Island's Cellular Jail from 1930 to 1947 till India's independence.

During the Quit India movement in 1942 he led Gandhiji's movement in Dinajpur and was jailed for a year. Later he left Gandhiji's path and joined the Communist Party of India (CPI) and remained a dedicated communist till his death.

In 1946 he, with others from the CPI, organised the most significant peasant movement of Bengal, the Tebhaga Movement. He was in charge of the movement in Dinajpur to control and connect the movement throughout the district. Dinajpur district's movement was one of the fiercest, and many villagers were killed by the British. He was arrested by the British and was kept in jail till India was declared independent and Pakistan was born in 1947.

Later activism

He continued to lead the Tebhaga movement in Pakistan after Independence. As a Hindu by birth, he was a soft target of the newly constituted Pakistan. In 1948 Pakistani government arrested him not as a leader of the peasant's unrest but as a security prisoner. After a year he was released but then taken into custody under the Special Powers Ordinance. This time he remained behind bars for a year, and was released on 21.9.51 only to be rearrested the same day under the same ordinance, and imprisoned until July 1952, when the country's Language Movement (Bhasha Adolan) was gaining importance.

Barada Bhushan Chakraborty was a guide to the students of the district who were involved in the Language movement. He was arrested for two years (1954–55), during which the movement was thinning.

When General Ayub Khan declared martial law, Barada Bhushan was among the leaders who protested. At this he was taken into custody by the new rulers without a specific charge and kept him in prison for two years. At this, protest erupted in both East and West Pakistan; before the High Court was to decide upon a Habeas Corpus petition on it, he was unconditionally released by the authorities. But when Pakistan and India were engaged in the War of 1965, he was arrested twice and kept in prison for about three years

During the Bangladesh Liberation War (Muktijuddha), Barada Bhushan led his district. He was arrested during this time and was placed, along with others, before the firing squad inside the Dinajpur Jail. Fortunately, at this hour the armed freedom fighters (Muktijoddhas) broke in the jail and snatched them out after a brief encounter with the Pakistani army. Thereafter Barada Bhushan remained in charge of the fighters' control room and kept the town free from Pakistani armies for 13 days, until the reinforced army raided the town killing hundreds. Barada Bhushan, along with thousands of the town, took refuge in India, guiding fighters from there. He returned to Bangladesh immediately after the independence, but with a frail health which aggravated his cancer.

Bhushan died on 5 November 1974 in Calcutta, where he was brought for cancer treatment with assistance from Mujibur Rahman, the then Prime Minister of Bangladesh.