Mollah was born on 3 January 1946 in Paschim Bauria, Howrah district of West Bengal to a working class family. His father Abdul Latif Mollah was a jute-mill worker, who died when he was very young and he was raised by his mother Jamila Khatoon in his maternal grandparents' house. He studied at Chengail Junior Madrasa. He was active in a local club, which led him to Left Politics. He became a member of the undivided Communist Party of India (CPI) in 1962 when he was 16.[3] After 1964, he joined CPI(M). He graduated with MA from Presidency College, University of Calcutta.[1][4]
Political life
Mollah was the general secretary of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) from 1980 to 1991. He is a member of the CPI(M), serving as West Bengal State Committee Member from 1982, Central Committee Member from 1986 and politburo member of the party from the 21st Party Congress in April 2015. He currently serves as the General Secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) (from 2012) and as a Joint Secretary of the All India Agricultural Workers' Union.[1]
He is a senior leader and a member of the working committee (highest body) of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) and played pivotal role in bringing together farmer unions from different parts of the country. He has been playing a leadership role in the farmers movement of India for 40 years.[3][5] He is playing a senior leader in the ongoing Indian farmers' protest. He is also part of the delegation representing the farmer protesters in the meetings with the Indian Government.[5]
When asked by journalists regarding what happened in a nationally important farmers and government meeting on 8 December, Mollah made the notable reply - "Kuch nahi. Murgi baethi rahi, par anda nahi diya (Nothing really. The chicken sat but laid no eggs)." The Central Government and Home Minister Amit Shah was referred by chicken here. This quote gained popularity.[3]
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