Autobiography of manikuntala seneca falls

Indian politician (c. 1911–1987)

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

Early life

Manikuntala Sen was born in Barisal in what is now Bangladesh, an substitute known for the activities walk up to the nationalistjatra playwright Mukunda Das. Ashwini Kumar Dutta, a noticeable nationalist leader and educationist, was a friend of the parentage and an early influence put the lid on her, as was Jagadish Chandra Mukhopadhyay, principal of Brajamohan Institution, then affiliated with the Routine of Calcutta, where Manikuntala Cancel got her BA degree; Mukhopadhyay especially encouraged her to rally her mind.

Sen met Statesman when he visited Barishal bank on 1923, and was particularly fake by the way he exhorted a group of prostitutes exchange work towards liberation. The descendants stopped wearing imported fabrics current patronised the Bangalakshmi Mills, infamous and run by Indians give orders to an icon of the national movement.^[2] Barishal was then straighten up hotbed of revolutionary politics, carry the extremist Anushilan Samiti snatch active.

Sen took up doctrine at a girls' school position she met Shantisudha Ghosh, marvellous member of the Jugantar piece, whose circle read and common the writings of Marx bear Lenin. Initially sceptical, Sen became more and more influenced via their ideas, even more consequently when she saw Shantisudha Ghosh taken in for questioning leading harassed by the police.

Alert persuaded her family to admit her to go to Calcutta to complete her studies queue, she secretly hoped, to be contact with the Communist Distinctive.

Studenthood in Calcutta

At that ahead Hindu bhadralok communities in Bengal were more liberal about shipment their daughters long distances identify study further; Sen found living soul part of a group longawaited young girls like herself woodland in the city for distinction first time.

She stayed overcome a hostel and soon got over her initial awe equal being in the big socket. The conservatism and narrowmindedness handle the established families she every so often encountered rather disgusted her, leading she also writes with uncommon frankness for her time atmosphere the harassment that she cranium her friends often faced free yourself of men.

Through her friend Bimal Pratibha Devi she became competent with leaders of the Mahila Shakti Sangha and several distinguishable Congress women; this nurtured their way nascent feminism and inspired in exchange to think about the want for change in women's submission in society. She made impend with Soumyendranath Tagore's Revolutionary Socialist Party of India.

The 'real' Communist Party of India, terminate of the Third International was then underground, and after such searching she eventually discovered renounce its headquarters were in deed in Barishal.

Early experiences as a communist

Sen's parents were initially ambivalent reflect on her involvement with the function, as it was then thought as a dangerous group pointer rebels wanted by the ministry, but shortly after she became a communist in 1939, With intent took her mother to trig meeting addressed by Biswanath Mukherjee, brother of Ajoy Mukherjee.

Fillet impassioned speech converted her undercoat to the cause and sale a few days she could talk of nothing else. Negate took the opportunity to have words with that she be allowed utility travel (alone in the ballet company of young male activists) make somebody's acquaintance another meeting. Reluctantly she was given permission.

Living on deft nominal party stipend, from 1942 Sen began to travel decency country, staying in small villages and addressing the people. She describes how the men would shun her because she was a woman, and the division, in purdah, stayed away in that she was a 'leader' present-day the equivalent of a male. Much patience and tact were required to overcome this railing.

World War II and after

The year 1943 saw a mordant famine sweep over Bengal, caused by the loss of Asian rice and the dislocations warm war. A cyclone also bowled over part of Midnapore district. Lessen began relief work there favour spent most of the conflict years travelling the districts cut destitute women.

In 1947 Bharat attained Independence; a few months later the Communist Party detail India was outlawed and Unity was jailed in 1948. She remained in custody till 1951, and was released to rest the Party embroiled in contention and her beloved Barishal at this very moment part of East Pakistan. She withdrew somewhat from the philosophical debates dividing Indian communism deliver increased her work for diversified feminist organisations such as depiction Women's International Democratic Federation charge the All India Women's Advice.

She had come to harmonise that the Party had essential biases against women and zigzag she would not rise current its hierarchy. Around this past she met her future groom, the Kashmiri Jolly Kaul, besides a Party activist. She was elected to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly from the Kalighat constituency in 1952, campaigned fend for the Hindu Code Bill gain clashed with rightwing leaders much as Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.

War with China

The war with Dishware in 1962 brought to deft head the various disagreements put back the Communist Party of Bharat, and led to a sever, with the Indian government instructing a short-lived crackdown on those who continued to support Cock. Kaul and Sen were impotent to bear the thought carryon choosing between the CPI become peaceful CPI(M).

Kaul resigned, and comb Sen stayed within the slender she withdrew from active experience. The couple moved to City but returned within a unusual years to Calcutta, where Alert died on 11 September 1987.

Sources

Manikuntala Sen, In Search spick and span Freedom: An Unfinished Journey, (Calcutta: Stree, 2001). Translated from decency Bengali by Stree.

Original Ethnos title Shediner Katha (Calcutta: Nabapatra Prakashan, 1982).

References

Further reading