The Janashiksha Movement (literacy movement) was launched 80 years back among the hilly people of Tripura by some educated tribal youths to emancipate them from the darkness of illiteracy and social superstitions. It still remains relevant today when the ruling forces are committed to reducing education to a commodity that may be purchased only by those who can afford to. It is the historic responsibility of the democratic masses of the state to thwart commercialisation of education and maintain unity of the masses of all sections of the people including tribals and non-tribals. This was the essence of what the speakers said while observing Janashiksha Day this year. 

Tripura Rajya Upajati Ganamukti Parishad (fondly known as GMP) observed the 81^st foundation day of Janashiksha Samity on December 27, with much devotion and dignity.

PIONEERING MOVEMENT

It was on December 27, (Poush 11, of Bengali calendar), 1945, that several educated tribal youths led by Dasaratha Debbarma, Sudhanwa Debbarma, Hemanta Jamatia, Nilmani Debbarma, Dinesh Debbarma and others, met in a tribal village at Durga Chowdhury Para, at the outskirts of Agartala town and decided to build up a literacy movement in the state to emancipate the vast masses of the tribals from the darkness of illiteracy. At the time the Samity was formed, there were only a handful of schools, mostly in the urban areas, leaving vast masses in the hilly terrain under the darkness of illiteracy. The clarion call of the Samity leaders for spreading literacy sparked tremendous response in the indigenous people. Within a few months, the villagers themselves provided their own houses to run schools or built new school buildings from material collected from the forest. They raised funds for providing food and token salaries for the teachers appointed by the Samity leaders. The children who were spending their time with their parents in jhum fields were happy to attend school. Within a few months about 400 such schools were established by the villagers. The Samity leaders were mounting pressure on the Royal Administration for recognition of these schools and taking charge of their management. Mr. Ralph Brown, a British intellectual and the education minister in the Royal Administration, was supportive of the splendid endeavors of the Samity leaders. After spot verification of functioning of the schools, he gave recognition to 300 of those to be taken over by the Royal Administration.   

But, instead of appreciating this noble endeavor of the Samity leaders, the King’s administration took it otherwise. Immediately, Mr. Brown was sacked from the post and he left Tripura permanently. The Royal Administration thought of it as a threat against the monarchy. The wrath and hostile attitude of the Royal Administration created uncompromising zeal among the Samity leaders to carry on with their mission. Alongside literacy movement, they undertook social reform and started propaganda against superstations, dowry system, witch-hunting, untouchability, religious hostility and exploitative feudal systems prevalent at that time in the society. More importantly, the Samity leaders made an earnest appeal for maintaining unity of working people belonging both to tribals and Bengalis cutting across race and caste. Gunning down of three tribal women namely Kumai-Madhuti-Rupashree at Padmabill, Khowai while protesting against ‘Titun System’ (Providing labour for the King without wage) on March 28, 1949, had further exposed the anti-people role of the King. Ultimately, this literacy movement turned into a movement for democracy with resolute resolve for electing a ‘King’ of their own choice.

Day Observed Across Tripura

Janashiksha day was observed in all the party offices of the state where party and GMP flags were hoisted with befitting devotion. The portraits of legendary founding leaders were given floral tributes. On this occasion, at the call of GMP a packed hall meeting presided by GMP President Naresh Jamatia was held on December 27, at West Tripura District Committee office which was addressed by senior party leader Manik Sarkar, Polit Bureau member Jitendra Chowdhury, GMP General Secretary Radhacharan Debbarma and others.        

Addressing the hall meeting, Manik Sarkar said that though the Janashiksha movement lasted not more than two/three years because of the hostile attitude of the Royal Administration, it gave birth to the Ganamukti Parishad in 1948 to resist the onslaughts of the royal army. The democratic movement developed and gained strength uniting tribals and non-tribal masses of the state through the Ganamukti Parishad which, in the course of sustained and prolonged movements led to the first Left Front Government being formed in 1978, Manik Sarkar said.  Elaborating on the pro-people measures, Manik Sarkar said that it was the Left Front Government which ensured that no children of the state need to walk more than one kilometer to reach a school. There was sustained effort to draw 100 per cent children into the schools. Due to this sincere drive, at one time Tripura topped in literacy in the country.

Analysing the BJP-Tipra Motha alliance regime, Manik Sarkar said that while the people of Tripura are suffering from multiple crises, one of the worst affected sectors is education. Hundreds of schools established by Left Front government have either been closed or merged due to shortage of students. Literacy rate in Tripura is sliding down every year. To supply cheaper labour to the corporate sector, the RSS-led BJP government passed the new Labour Codes, and downsized MGNREGA which would further escalate the crisis of the rural unemployed. While people are getting restive day by day, the government is trying to defuse the anger of the masses by creating divisions on caste, clan and religious lines. It is our patriotic responsibility to unite the working people against such damaging design of the ruling forces, Manik Sarkar said.

Jitendra Chaudhry explained the duplicity of Tipra Motha which is cheating the tribal community of the state, picking up one divisive slogan after another. TTAADC under 6^th Schedule, tribal reservation in government job, restoration of alienated land to the original tribal owners and more importantly, recognition of Kokborok as state language - all are outcome of united movement of the democratic masses of both tribals and nontribals. But the Tipra Motha does not admit the idea of democratic unity and advocates that only tribals would fight for their own cause, keeping a distance from the other democratic masses that are in favour of their cause. While BJP is trying to divide the people on religious lines for Hindutva polarisation, Tipra Motha in practice is acting as an accomplice to destabilize the state by propagating tribal sectarianism, jitendra Chaudhury said and asserted that the united democratic masses would resist this evil design.              

Radhaharan Debbarma, General Secretary of GMP Central Committee, elaborated on the nonperformance and mal-performance of the Tipra Motha led TTAADC including rampant corruption that has become institutionalised in the ADC,  just as in various governments running under BJP.

Naresh Jamatia emphasised the duplicity of Tipra Motha which is misleading the tribal people with fraudulent promises, cashing in on blind loyalty of the innocent tribals towards royal family.     

‘Quest For Truth’: Book on Marxist Philosophy Released

Haripada Das

‘QUEST For Truth’, a book authored by Matilal Sarkar, a teacher, left ideologue, veteran CPI(M) leader and former Rajya Sabha member, was released by senior party leader Manik Sarkar in a short programme at the Daily Desher Katha Bhavan on 7^TH January. The programme was presided by another senior party leader and Daily Desher Katha Trust chairman Narayan Kar and was attended by Central Committee member Manik Dey, State Committee member Rama Das, Daily Desher Katha editor Samir Paul, and Bibhuti Bhusan Saha Roy on behalf of Daily Desher Katha Publication, among others. 

Senior leader and former general secretary Prakash Karat, in a message read out at the programme, introduced the book as a compilation of “basic tenets of Marxist philosophy and political economy, the concept of the mode of production, how capitalism operates, the class struggle which brings about social transformation and the role of working class in establishing socialism”. Karat hoped the book would spark interest in comrades to deeply study Marxism and encourage them to apply the Marxist outlook in their political practice and activities. 

After unveiling the cover of the book, Manik Sarkar said the author had chosen 33 core points of Marxism which were dealt in 7 chapters. Every point was discussed in very simple language and way easily conceivable. He suggested arranging wide publication of this book. 

Matilal Sarkar said that he tried to portray the origin of Marxism and its indispensability in social life. The concept of transformation and evolution are key points both in respect of matter as well as in social life. Human brain reached its highest form through application and evolution that make humans different from all other species of the world. Philosophy, politics, religion, culture are all products of the human brain that have deep rooted influence in society. He said that he would try to bring out a Bengali edition of the book soon. (END)