Ram Chatterjee (27 May 1922 – 1986) was an Indian politician. He won the
Tarakeswar constituency seat in the 1967, 1969, 1971, 1977 and 1982 elections.
Before politics
Born on 27 May 1922 in
Chinsurah
Hugli-Chuchura or Hooghly-Chinsurah is a city and a municipality of Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the bank of Hooghly River, 35 km north of Kolkata. It is located in the district of Hooghly and is home t ...
, Chatterjee grew up amidst poverty.
His father died during his school years, and he had to leave school before finishing Class VII.
During a long period Chatterjee was unemployed.
He lived in Chinsurah and
Chandannagar.
As of 1949 he was leading a gang of ''
goondas'' in Chandannagar, running extortion and protection rackets.
Chatterjee was unofficially protected by the Council of Administration of Chandannagar, a fact that allowed him to continue his operations.
1950 riots
Chatterjee was hired at the
Eastern Railways
The Eastern Railway (abbreviated ER) is among the 19 zones of the Indian Railways. Its headquarters is at Fairley Place, Kolkata and comprises four divisions: , , , and . Each division is headed by a Divisional Railway Manager (DRM). The name o ...
.
He was involved in the 1950 communal riots, and during the riots he started a grouping called 'Bhabani Dal' in Chandannagar.
These were the largest incidents of communal violence in Chandannagar.
Chatterjee was arrested on March 31, 1950, under the Preventive Detention Act. He was released after three weeks of custody.
On September 1, 1951, he was again arrested under the Preventive Detention Act.
He remained in detention until July 28, 1952.
In Forward Bloc
Upon his release Chatterjee joined the
Forward Bloc (Marxist Group).
He was arrested in January 1953, and was released on June 22, 1953.
Chatterjee belonged to the group of FB(MG) leaders that were expelled from the party after having supported the
Communist Party of India candidate in the
1953 Calcutta South East by-election.
Along with the other expellees, he formed the
Marxist Forward Bloc
The Marxist Forward Bloc is a political party in India, a splinter group of the All India Forward Bloc. The MFB was formed in 1953 as Satyapriya Banerjee, a member of the AIFB Central Secretariat, Amar Bose, Suhurit Chaudhury and Ram Chatterji wer ...
in April the following year.
Chatterjee took part in the 1958 food movement.
He was arrested on September 15, 1958, and was detained for a week.
United Front
In 1969 Chatterjee was named Minister for Sports in the second
United Front
A united front is an alliance of groups against their common enemies, figuratively evoking unification of previously separate geographic fronts and/or unification of previously separate armies into a front. The name often refers to a political ...
government formed in West Bengal.
On June 22, 1969, Chatterjee charged into the exclusive
Calcutta Swimming Club
The Calcutta Swimming Club (often known by the abbreviation CSC), is a social club in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India. The club is located on the Strand Road, Kolkata, Strand Road near Babughat. The club is the oldest swimming club in India.
...
, an institution predominately serving Europeans, along with about a hundred
Santhal Santhal may refer to :
Places and jurisdictions
* Santhal Pargana division, in Jharkhand state, (north)eastern India
* Santhal State, former petty princely state in Mahi Kantha, Gujarat, western India
People
* Santhal people (part of the Tea ...
tribal
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...
s.
Chatterjee lost his assembly seat in the
1972 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election
Legislative Assembly elections were held in the Indian state of West Bengal on March 11, 1972.
Background
The election was the 4th assembly election in West Bengal within six years. President's Rule had been introduced soon after the 1971 West B ...
.
Left Front
Chatterjee regained his Tarakeswar seat in the
1977 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election.
Chatterjee was named Minister of State Home (Civil Defense) Department in the
Left Front government formed in West Bengal in 1977.
[''Indian Express''. ]
In the hot seat, why India's only Fire Minister isn't sweating
'[''India Today''. ]
' His widow contested the Tarakeswar seat after his death.[ After Chatterjee's death his party suffered an internal feud and was severely weakened in its Hooghly District bastion.][
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chatterjee, Ram
West Bengal MLAs 1967–1969
West Bengal MLAs 1969–1971
West Bengal MLAs 1971–1972
West Bengal MLAs 1977–1982
West Bengal MLAs 1982–1987
Marxist Forward Bloc politicians
State cabinet ministers of West Bengal
1922 births
1986 deaths
Bengali Hindus
20th-century Bengalis