Mohammed Abdullah Rasul, Born: 1903, Died: 21 November 1991, was an Indian politician. He belonged to the Communist Party of India (Marxist).[1] M.A. Rasul was a prominent leader of the peasants' movement and served as minister in the West Bengal state government for a short period in the 1960s.

Early political activity

Rasul hailed from Burdwan.[2] Rasul was a leader of the peasant movement.[3] Rasul was arrested during the 1959 Food Movement.[3] In January 1936 he was one of the leaders, gathered in Meerut, that were tasked with convening the founding conference of the All India Kisan Sabha in Lucknow.[4] As a political activist, Rasul was an associate of Muzaffar Ahmed.[5] Around 1943 Rasul was sent to Chittagong, to make contact with the Communist Party of Burma, but his trip was suspended due to a boat accident.[6]

Independence, Partition and Tebhaga movement

Rasul was elected General Secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha at its 10th conference held in Sikandra Rao in 1947.[5] At the time the Kisan Sabha was facing government repression.[5] He resigned from this post in the early 1950s, in order to facilitate merger talks with the All India United Kisan Sabha (a break-away group).[7] Following the Second Party Congress of the Communist Party of India, held in Calcutta in 1948, at which the Communist Party of Pakistan was founded, Rasul and a number of other Muslim party leaders were sent to East Pakistan to build the party there.[8] Rasul's stay in Pakistan became short, however, and he soon returned to India.[8] He was a leader of the Tebhaga movement.[9]

Legislator and Minister

Rasul was a Member of the West Bengal Legislative Council.[4] He was elected by the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.[10] He was named Minister of Transport (leading the Transport branch of the Home Department) in the second United Front government of West Bengal, formed in February 1969.[1][11][12] Rasul resigned as Minister of Transport after the West Bengal Legislative Council was abolished.[4] Mohammed Amin was sworn in as new Minister of Transport on 4 February 1970.[4]

Later years

The 26th conference of the All India Kisan Sabha (Ashoka Road) elected Rasul as Vice-President.[5]

Rasul died on 21 November 1991, at the age of 88.[5]

Bibliography

  • Md. Abdullah Rasul (1974). A History of the All India Kisan Sabha. National Book Agency.
  • Md. Abdullah Rasul (1980). Krshaka Sabhara itihasa. Nabajataka Prakasana.
  • Md. Abdullah Rasul (1985). Grāme grāmāntare. Nyāśanāla Buka Ejensi.

References

  1. 1 2 Communist Party of India (Marxist). West Bengal State Committee. Election results of West Bengal: statistics & analysis, 1952–1991. The Committee. p. 379. ISBN 9788176260282.
  2. ↑ Ke. El Mahēndra (1 January 2006). Recollections and reflections. Prachee Publications. p. 90. ISBN 978-81-7443-020-5.
  3. 1 2 Suranjan Das; Premansukumar Bandyopadhyay (2004). Food Movement of 1959: Documenting a Turning Point in the History of West Bengal. K.P. Bagchi & Company. p. 181. ISBN 978-81-7074-268-5.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Asian Recorder. Vol. 16. K. K. Thomas at Recorder Press. 1970. p. 9445.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 All India Kisan Sabha. Conference (1992). Documents of the ... Conference of All India Kisan Sabha. All India Kisan Sabha. pp. 40–41.
  6. ↑ Memoirs: 25 communist freedom fighters. People's Democracy. 2005. p. 171.
  7. ↑ Md. Abdullah Rasul (1974). A History of the All India Kisan Sabha. National Book Agency. p. 156.
  8. 1 2 Badruddin Umar (2004). The Emergence of Bangladesh: Class Struggles in East Pakistan, 1947–1958. Oxford University Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-19-579571-4.
  9. ↑ Asok Majumdar (1 September 1993). Peasant protest in Indian politics: Tebhaga movement in Bengal. NIB Publishers. p. 56. ISBN 978-81-85538-01-3.
  10. ↑ West Bengal (India). Legislature. Legislative Council (1962). Council Debates; Official Report. p. iv.
  11. ↑ Intercontinental Press. Vol. 7. Intercontinental Press. 1969. p. 274.
  12. ↑ Hindustan Year-book and Who's who. Vol. 37. M. C. Sarkar. 1969. p. 211.
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