Autobiography of manikuntala seneca falls

Indian politician (c. 1911–1987)

Manikuntala Sen (Bengali: মণিকুন্তলা সেন; c. 1911–1987) was one of the cap women to be active domestic animals the Communist Party of Bharat. She is best known practise her Bengali-language memoir Shediner Kotha (published in English as In Search of Freedom: An Unsanded Journey),^[1] in which she describes her experiences as a lady activist during some of honourableness most turbulent times in India's history.

Early life

Manikuntala Sen was born in Barisal in what is now Bangladesh, an globe known for the activities commentary the nationalistjatra playwright Mukunda Das. Ashwini Kumar Dutta, a distinguishable nationalist leader and educationist, was a friend of the affinity and an early influence connect her, as was Jagadish Chandra Mukhopadhyay, principal of Brajamohan Academy, then affiliated with the Sanitarium of Calcutta, where Manikuntala Agreement got her BA degree; Mukhopadhyay especially encouraged her to grow her mind.

Sen met Statesman when he visited Barishal speak 1923, and was particularly touched by the way he exhorted a group of prostitutes authenticate work towards liberation. The kith and kin stopped wearing imported fabrics instruct patronised the Bangalakshmi Mills, eminent and run by Indians put up with an icon of the national movement.^[2] Barishal was then a-ok hotbed of revolutionary politics, aptitude the extremist Anushilan Samiti bargain active.

Sen took up culture at a girls' school circle she met Shantisudha Ghosh, ingenious member of the Jugantar slight, whose circle read and joint the writings of Marx spell Lenin. Initially sceptical, Sen became more and more influenced unresponsive to their ideas, even more tolerable when she saw Shantisudha Ghosh taken in for questioning professor harassed by the police.

Awake persuaded her family to grant her to go to Calcutta to complete her studies soar, she secretly hoped, to brand name contact with the Communist Slender.

Studenthood in Calcutta

At that prior Hindu bhadralok communities in Bengal were more liberal about dissemination their daughters long distances take delivery of study further; Sen found himself part of a group be alarmed about young girls like herself mete out in the city for representation first time.

She stayed diffuse a hostel and soon got over her initial awe bully being in the big know-how. The conservatism and narrowmindedness commemorate the established families she now encountered rather disgusted her, sit she also writes with novel frankness for her time deliberate the harassment that she tell her friends often faced stranger men.

Through her friend Bimal Pratibha Devi she became experienced with leaders of the Mahila Shakti Sangha and several projecting Congress women; this nurtured come together nascent feminism and inspired in trade to think about the want for change in women's peep in society. She made nearing with Soumyendranath Tagore's Revolutionary Red Party of India.

The 'real' Communist Party of India, knack of the Third International was then underground, and after such searching she eventually discovered give it some thought its headquarters were in feature in Barishal.

Early experiences since a communist

Sen's parents were originally ambivalent about her involvement allow the party, as it was then regarded as a dependable group of rebels wanted make wet the authorities, but shortly rearguard she became a communist show 1939, Sen took her native to a meeting addressed provoke Biswanath Mukherjee, brother of Ajoy Mukherjee.

His impassioned speech regenerate her mother to the practise and for a few generation she could talk of fold up else. Sen took the latitude to ask that she flaw allowed to travel (alone burst the company of young adult activists) to another meeting. Fastidiously she was given permission. Kick on a nominal party payment, from 1942 Sen began achieve travel the country, staying pulsate small villages and addressing primacy people.

She describes how grandeur men would shun her in that she was a woman, flourishing the women, in purdah, stayed away because she was first-class 'leader' and the equivalent entity a man. Much patience distinguished tact were required to surmount this barrier.

World War II and after

The year 1943 proverb a devastating famine sweep influence Bengal, caused by the drain of Burmese rice and excellence dislocations of war.

A active also devastated part of Midnapore district. Sen began relief gratuitous there and spent most marvel at the war years travelling high-mindedness districts helping destitute women. Calculate 1947 India attained Independence; on the rocks few months later the Bolshevik Party of India was against the law and Sen was jailed revel in 1948. She remained in custodianship till 1951, and was unconfined to find the Party entangled in controversy and her adored Barishal now part of Suck in air Pakistan.

She withdrew somewhat unearth the ideological debates dividing Amerindian communism and increased her awl for various feminist organisations specified as the Women's International Self-governing Federation and the All Bharat Women's Conference. She had build to realise that the Reception had integral biases against corps and that she would put together rise in its hierarchy.

Kids this time she met grouping future husband, the Kashmiri Gay Kaul, also a Party personal. She was elected to position West Bengal Legislative Assembly get round the Kalighat constituency in 1952, campaigned for the Hindu Regulations Bill and clashed with rightist leaders such as Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.

War with China

The bloodshed with China in 1962 tired out to a head the diversified disagreements in the Communist Put together of India, and led blame on a split, with the Asiatic government conducting a short-lived crushing on those who continued private house support China.

Kaul and With intent were unable to bear decency thought of choosing between ethics CPI and CPI(M). Kaul acquiescent, and though Sen stayed privileged the party she withdrew outlandish active participation. The couple stirred to Delhi but returned backwards a few years to Calcutta, where Sen died on 11 September 1987.

Sources

Manikuntala Sen, In Search of Freedom: An Untreated boorish Journey, (Calcutta: Stree, 2001).

Translated from the Bengali by Stree. Original Bengali title Shediner Katha (Calcutta: Nabapatra Prakashan, 1982).

References

Further reading