Pramod Ranjan Sengupta

Pramod Ranjan Sengupta (1907 - 1974) was a Marxist intellectual and Bengali revolutionary, attached with of Indian National Army led by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Early life

Sengupta was born in British India at Dumka, presently in the state of Jharkhand. His father Harshanath Sengupta was a reputed doctor of Dumka. In 1925 while studying in Krishnagar Government College, at Krishnanagar, Nadia he came in contact with Hemanta Kumar Sarkar, Anantahari Mitra, Mahadev Sarkar and gravitated towards revolutionary politics.[1]

Revolutionary activities

Sengupta was arrested for his connection with Dakshineswar Bomb Case and was interned in Shibchar village of Faridpur District, presently in Bangladesh. During this period he completed graduation. After his release in 1927, he went to England for higher studies. While studying in London School of Economics, he joined India League and the London Dock workers' trade union. Sengupta went to Germany in 1928 at the invitation of Saumyendranath Tagore who introduced him to the members of the Berlin Committee. While returning to England, French police arrested him with a revolver.[1] After release, he met international communist Leaders like Rajani Palme Dutt, Shapurji Saklatvala and Harry Pollitt. In 1934-35 he participated in the communist group of studies along with other Indian students in London[2] which latter formed the antiimperialist Progressive Writers Association.[3] Sengupta also worked as a reporter for Hindustan Standard in London. In 1938 he submitted the thesis paper regarding the 'Agro related development in India' and got the Ph.D degree. He went to Spain to join the International Brigades against the Nationalist forces. During World War II Sengupta joined in Indian National Army formed by Subhas chandra Bose in Berlin and he became its Program Director. He also edited the Ajad hind magazine for a short while. After the war he was arrested in 1945 by the British military Mission and was imprisoned for 10 months. In 1946, Sengupta returned to India, joined Left-wing politics and was again imprisoned in 1950 in the Presidency jail in Kolkata. After release, he joined in Communist Party of India.[1]

Other movements

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English writers

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Notable works
Related Organisations

Sengupta was active in International Peace Movement, Progressive Writers' Movement, Bharatiya Gananatya Sangha, Democratic Rights and Civil Society Movement after the commencement of The Emergency (India). He was the President of All India Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries (AICCCR) at the time of Naxalbari uprising.[4][5] Pramod Ranjan Sengupta, popularly known as Pramod Sengupta, was a founder member of Bengal's civil liberty organization Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), and elected as its first general secretary in 1972.

Literary works

Sengupta was a Marxist intellectual and socio political essayist and. A number of his articles were published in various magazines. He wrote the following books:

  • Bhartiya Mahabidroha[6]
  • Nilbidroho o Tatkalin Bangali Samaj[7]
  • Kalantarer Pathik Romain Rolland
  • Naxalbari and Indian Revolution[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c Vol - I, Subodh C. Sengupta & Anjali Basu (2002). Sansad Bengali Charitavidhan (Bengali). Kolkata: Sahitya Sansad. pp. 311–312. ISBN 81-85626-65-0.
  2. ^ Geeta Patel (2002). Lyrical Movements, Historical Hauntings: On Gender, Colonialism, and Desire. Stanford University Press. ISBN 9780804733298. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  3. ^ "Remembering Denmark Street in 1934…the Nanking Restaurant and the Indian Progressive Writers' Association". China Rhyming. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  4. ^ "স্মৃতি খুঁড়ে তুলে আনা সত্তরের যাদবপুর". anandabazar.com. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  5. ^ Bharat Jyoti Roychowdhury, Vol - II (2010). Satchallish Theke Sottor (Bengali). Kolkata: Muktomon. pp. 12, 176. ISBN 978-81-906750-4-8.
  6. ^ "Author". nationallibrary.gov.in. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  7. ^ Sumit Guha (13 September 2013). Beyond Caste: Identity and Power in South Asia, Past and Present. BRILL. ISBN 9789004254855. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  8. ^ Ghanshyam Shah (5 March 2004). Social Movements in India: A Review of Literature. SAGE Publications. ISBN 9788132119777. Retrieved 21 October 2017.