THE historic Janashiksha Divas was observed on December 27 throughout the state, with deep respect for the message of the renaissance initiated by the Janashiksha Samity. This movement aimed to emancipate the impoverished tribal people from the darkness of illiteracy, feudal exploitation, and superstition, and to carry forward its lessons, which remain highly relevant today.

Covertly guided by communist leader Biren Datta, eleven educated tribal youths, including Dasaratha Debbarma, Sudhanva Debbarma, Hemanta Debbarma, and others, formed the Janashiksha Samity at Durga Chowdhury Para, a tribal hamlet near Agartala, the capital of the state, on December 27, 1945. The primary mission was to provide at least primary education to the young generation of tribals. The Samity also launched an extensive programme of mass awareness to combat various social superstitions such as dowry, untouchability, witch-hunting, and the feudal exploitation systems enforced by the royal administration. The Samity's clarion call to send all teenage children to school was warmly embraced by the tribal masses, who themselves built schoolhouses using traditional forest materials in various villages and urged the Samity leaders to provide teachers. In this way, about 400 schools were established across the state, and the teachers, both tribal and non-tribal, were paid minimal remuneration and food contributed by the villagers.

Although a section of the royal administration initially supported this historic literacy drive and recognised 300 of the schools established by the villagers, the king saw the movement as a threat to the royal kingdom. The royal police arrested two Samity leaders, Hemanta Debbarma and Sudhanva Debbarma, but were forced to release them shortly after massive protests from the tribal masses against these vindictive arrests. The king also issued an arrest warrant for Dasaratha Debbarma. Attempts to establish a parallel organisation to the Janashiksha Samity were unsuccessful. As the Samity gained popularity with its educational, cultural, and progressive social reforms, it faced tremendous hostility from the royal administration. This led to the formation of the Ganamukti Parishad to resist the royal police’s oppression of the tribal masses. In essence, the Janashiksha Samity planted the idea of the right to self-determination among the tribal people, many of whom had previously been blindly obedient to the royal regime.

To observe this historic day, the CPI(M) and Ganamukti Parishad jointly organised various programmes, including hall meetings, processions, and rallies across the state. Party flags and Ganamukti Parishad flags were hoisted at most Party offices, which were decorated and illuminated for the occasion. Party and Ganamukti Parishad leaders paid floral tributes to the images of the founders of the Janashiksha Samity. Daily Desher Katha brought out a special edition with articles by Party and Ganamukti Parishad leaders explaining the historic importance of the formation of the Janashiksha Samity in today's context.

As part of the observance, a crowded hall meeting was held at the Agartala Town Hall. The meeting was presided over by GMP state president Naresh Jamatia and addressed by Polit Bureau member Manik Sarkar, Central Committee member Aghore Debbarma, and GMP secretary Radhacharan Debbarma.

Manik Sarkar, terming the formation of the Janashiksha Samity as a milestone in the history of the democratic movement in the state, stated that, in addition to mass education, the main thrust of this organisation was to unite people regardless of caste, race, language, culture, religion, or ethnicity, and to transform society with progressive values, free from the economic exploitation of man by man. Sarkar emphasized that we are commemorating the Janashiksha Samity movement at a time when there are continuous efforts to divide the people, including the promotion of hostility in the name of searching for Hindu temples beneath Muslim mosques. He pointed out that the ruling BJP’s tireless pursuit of the slogan ‘one nation, one election’ would eventually evolve into ‘one religion, one language, one culture, and one leader.’ Terming this attitude as neo-fascist, Sarkar condemned the union home minister’s sarcastic remarks against Dr B R Ambedkar, the key architect of the Indian Constitution, in Parliament, exposing their real devotion to a constitution based on the regressive Manusmriti. Referring to the move of the central government to place the Election Commission above accountability regarding electoral mismatches, Sarkar said this revealed their lack of trust in the masses.

Describing the plight of the common people, particularly in the state, Sarkar said the situation was gradually changing. Alienation from the ruling parties was growing day by day, with leaders and cadres fighting to secure illegal interests through rampant corruption. He urged the masses to seize this opportunity to address local issues and bring people to the streets. This, he asserted, would be the true devotion to the lessons of the Janashiksha Samity.

Aghore Debbarma criticised Tipra Motha for deceiving the tribal community by pretending to be a tribal sympathizer while serving the ruling BJP. Naresh Jamatia explained the role of communists in safeguarding the identity and culture of the tribal community. Radhacharan Debbarma urged the public to expose the so-called slogans of ‘Tipra Land’ and ‘Greater Tipra Land,’ which he described were mere tools to mislead the innocent tribal masses.