People's Democracy

Comrade Pranesh Biswas

Isfaqur Rahman

ON August 6, 2012, the state committee of the CPI(M) organised a condolence meeting, at the state office of the party, to pay homage to Comrade Pranesh Biswas (96), veteran freedom fighter and one of the founders of the communist movement in Assam, who breathed his last at his Salt Lake residence in Kolkata on July 28.

Comrade Biswas is survived by his daughter Sumita Basu and a host of admirers. After the formal division of the Communist Party in 1964, he was closely associated with the CPI(M) and maintained contact with the Assam state committee of the party till his death.

The meeting was chaired by the CPI(M) state secretary Uddhab Barman and addressed, among others, by Dr Debo Prasad Barooah, a former vice chancellor of Guwahati University, and senior CPI(M) leader Hemen Das. The party's state secretariat member Isfaqur Rahman moved the condolence resolution which expressed the Assam state committee’s profound grief at the passing away of Comrade Pranesh Biswas and conveyed its heartfelt condolences to his daughter and bereaved family members.

Born at a  remote village in Habiganj under the erstwhile East Bengal (now Bangladesh), Comrade Pranesh Biswas joined the freedom struggle in his early student life and evinced courage and conviction in the fight against British imperialism and for establishment of a society free from class exploitation and class domination. While he joined the freedom struggle led by Gandhiji, he also established contact with an armed revolutionary group for overthrowing the British rule. At the same time, he jumped into the mass struggles of the workers and peasants for attainment of complete independence and emancipation of the Indian people from class exploitation. Enriched with huge experiences of struggles, he embraced Marxism-Leninism and joined the Communist Party in 1938.

Pranesh Biswas played a major role in the early stage of progressive student movement and was elected as the general secretary of the All Assam Students' Association in its first conference held in Shillong in 1940. The students movement paved the way for his political activities in the Brahmaputra Valley. After having experienced an underground life, and when the 'ban' on the Communist Party was lifted in 1942, Pranesh Biswas established contact with the communist workers and leaders scattered across Assam and took a leading role in the formation of the party. The “Brahmaputra Valley Committee” of the Communist Party was formed in its first conference held at Golaghat from December 31, 1942 to January 2, 1943 under the presidentship of Comrade Pranesh Biswas.

Comrade Biswas also played a pioneering role in organising the kisan movement in Assam and was elected as the founder general secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha's state unit. He made a unique contribution to organising the poor tribal peasants in Goalpara district. He was also active in the historic Beltola kisan movement in Kamrup district. On several occasions, he was detained, arrested and imprisoned.

After the split in the communist movement and formal division of the CPI in 1964, he maintained close relation with the CPI(M). He was also a writer and authored a number of valuable books of historical importance.

The Assam state committee of the CPI(M) recollected his fond memory and paid respectful tribute to the departed leader. His indelible contributions during the formative stage of the communist movement would always be remembered with pride and glory, the resolution added.

Paying homage to the departed leader, former vice chancellor, Dr Debo Prasad Barooah, who had the opportunity to work with Comrade Pranesh Biswas and stayed with him in the party commune during the formative stage of the communist movement, recalled the contribution of Pranesh Biswas. He said Comrade Biswas was a communist with courage and conviction, dedication and determination. Hemen Das, in his speech, paid rich tributes to Pranesh Biswas and traced the history of the Communist Party in Assam and the role played by Pranesh Biswas. The meeting was also addressed by Munindra Swarnakar and Sarbanda Das who had worked for the party in Shillong under the guidance and leadership of Comrade Pranesh Biswas.

Uddhab Barman, in his speech from the chair, said the communist movement in Assam would always remember the hallowed memory of Comrade Pranesh Biswas for his unique contribution in building the party in the early period in Assam.