Moni Singh ( bn, মনি সিংহ; 28 June 1901, Durgapur Upazila, Netrokona – 31 December 1990,

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...

) was a preeminent Bengali Communist politician popularly known as ''Comrade Moni Singh''. He was the founder of the Communist Party of East Pakistan. Singh operated a guerrilla wing of the

Mukti Bahini The Mukti Bahini ( bn, মুক্তিবাহিনী, translates as 'freedom fighters', or liberation army), also known as the Bangladesh Forces, was the guerrilla resistance movement consisting of the Bangladeshi military, paramilitary ...

during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 and was an advisor to the Provisional Government of Bangladesh.

Early life

Singh was born on 28 June 1901 in Susang-Durgapur,

Mymensingh district Mymensingh ( bn, ময়মনসিংহ) is a district in Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh, and is bordered on the north by Meghalaya, a state of India and the Garo Hills, on the south by Gazipur District, on the east by the districts of Ne ...

, Bengal Presidency, British India. He completed his secondary schooling in Kolkata. He joined

Anushilan Samiti Anushilan Samiti ( bn, অনুশীলন সমিতি, , bodybuilding society) was an Indian fitness club, which was actually used as an underground society for anti-British revolutionaries. In the first quarter of the 20th century it su ...

in 1914. He left the Samiti and joined the Communist Party of India in 1925. His father was Kali Kumar Singh and grandfather was a zamindar. His mother was a member of the royal family of Susang Durgapur.

Career

Singh led of strike of workers of Kesharam Cotton Mills in Kolkata in 1928. He was imprisoned from 1930 to November 1937. After being released he moved back to Susang-Durgapur where he led peasants in protests against Tanka, a sharecropping in which the majority of the produced goods went to the landowner. In 1945, he worked as an organizer of All India Kisan Sabha in Netrokona District. He led a protests of Hajong tribesmen against the Tanka system which became violent. An arrest warrant was issued against him and his properties were confiscated. Prior to the partition of India in August 1947, Singh was a successful workers' leader who led movements to abolish exploitative labour practices. He was imprisoned for long stretches on three occasions: 1930–37, 1967–69, and 1969–71. He was first elected Communist Party of East Pakistan head in 1951, when Bangladesh was part of Pakistan, and led it with one short interruption until his death. After the

Sino-Soviet split The Sino-Soviet split was the breaking of political relations between the China, People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union caused by Doctrine, doctrinal divergences that arose from their different interpretations and practical applications ...

, Singh took the side of the

Soviets Soviet people ( rus, сове́тский наро́д, r=sovyétsky naród), or citizens of the USSR ( rus, гра́ждане СССР, grázhdanye SSSR), was an umbrella demonym for the population of the Soviet Union. Nationality policy in ...

. Because of this, the party split in 1966. He was released after the 1969 Mass uprising. Singh fought in the Bangladesh Liberation war and was a member of the advisory council of the Mujibnagar government. He was elected President of the

Communist Party of Bangladesh The Communist Party of Bangladesh ( bn, বাংলাদেশের কমিউনিস্ট পার্টি) is a Marxism-Leninism, Marxist–Leninist communist party in Bangladesh. History After the Partition of India, partitioni ...

in 1973. In 1975, he joined the Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League government. After the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the dissolution of Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League government, he revived the Communist Party of Bangladesh in 1976. He participated in the 2nd general election of Bangladesh in 1978 as part of the Democratic Alliance. He was elected President of the Communistry Party of Bangladesh in 1980 and retained that post till his death. His autobiography, ''Jiban Sangram'' (1983), was first published in

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

before it was translated into English with the title ''Life is a Struggle'' (1988).

Death and legacy

Singh died 31 December 1990. He was awarded the Independence Day Award in 2004.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Moni 1901 births 1990 deaths People from Netrokona District Pakistani politicians Bengali zamindars Indian trade union leaders Communist Party of Bangladesh politicians Recipients of the Independence Day Award Bangladeshi Marxists Bangladeshi Hindus