Kamal Guha
Encyclopedia
Kamal Guha was an India
n politician. He was a All India Forward Bloc
leader and member of the Left Front
cabinet in the Indian state of West Bengal
for over two decades.
was his classmate, and passed Intermediate Arts from Victoria College (now Acharya Brojendra Nath Seal College
) in Cooch Behar, which was then affiliated with the University of Calcutta
. Guha was inspired by Subhas Chandra Bose at a very young age. He decided to join politics when he was still a student and Forward Bloc seemed to be the obvious choice.
in 1962. He contested and won the Dinhata seat in every election except 1971. In the 2006 Assembly election he quit from contesting the Dinhata seat. He became member of the cabinet in 1977, 1982,1987 and 2001 and headed the departments of agriculture, agriculture marketing and public health engineering.
Guha had a major contribution in strengthening the party in West Bengal. In the late 80s, he took up the cause of people living the enclaves. In 1992 he was expelled by his party because of severe differences over handing over the Teen Bigha corridor to Bangladesh.
Unperturbed, he formed Forward Bloc (Socialist)
and won against the official Left Front candidate at Dinhata. After about seven years he returned to the Forward Bloc.
Guha was seen as an anti-Communist Party of India (Marxist)
(CPI(M)) voice within the Left Front. He was vociferous against the state government’s
market-driven farm policy. In 2002, he had said that the indiscriminate recruitment of CPI(M) cadres by government departments and frequent increase in their salary has made the West Bengal government bankrupt.
Guha was not keeping well in later life and died on 6 August 2007. Condoling his death the Forward Bloc leader Debabrata Biswas
said that Guha was a “leader of the people and always fought for the rights of the toiling masses.”
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n politician. He was a All India Forward Bloc
All India Forward Bloc
The All India Forward Bloc is a leftwing nationalist political party in India. It emerged as a faction within the Indian National Congress in 1939, led by Subhas Chandra Bose. The party re-established as an independent political party after the independence of India...
leader and member of the Left Front
Left Front
The Left Front is an alliance of Indian leftist parties. After a 34-year reign in West Bengal, the Left Front was swept from power in the 2011 election...
cabinet in the Indian state of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
for over two decades.
Early life
Born at Dinhata on January 20, 1928, he passed his matriculation from Dinhata High School where former president of Bangladesh, Hossain Mohammad ErshadHossain Mohammad Ershad
Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad is a Bangladeshi politician who was President of Bangladesh from 1983 to 1990. Previously, he was Chief of Staff of the Bangladesh Army and then Chief Martial Law Administrator in 1982....
was his classmate, and passed Intermediate Arts from Victoria College (now Acharya Brojendra Nath Seal College
Acharya Brojendra Nath Seal College
Acharya Brojendra Nath Seal College is a co-educational college situated in Cooch Behar, West Bengal. It was established in the year 1888 and offers both undergraduate and postgraduate education. The college is affiliated to University of North Bengal and accredited as B by NAAC...
) in Cooch Behar, which was then affiliated with the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
. Guha was inspired by Subhas Chandra Bose at a very young age. He decided to join politics when he was still a student and Forward Bloc seemed to be the obvious choice.
Political career
Guha won his first election to the West Bengal Legislative AssemblyWest Bengal Legislative Assembly
The West Bengal Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of West Bengal. It is housed in the B.B.D. Bagh area of Kolkata —the capital of the state. Members of the Legislative assembly are directly elected by the people...
in 1962. He contested and won the Dinhata seat in every election except 1971. In the 2006 Assembly election he quit from contesting the Dinhata seat. He became member of the cabinet in 1977, 1982,1987 and 2001 and headed the departments of agriculture, agriculture marketing and public health engineering.
Guha had a major contribution in strengthening the party in West Bengal. In the late 80s, he took up the cause of people living the enclaves. In 1992 he was expelled by his party because of severe differences over handing over the Teen Bigha corridor to Bangladesh.
Unperturbed, he formed Forward Bloc (Socialist)
Forward Bloc (Socialist)
Forward Bloc , a break-away group from the All India Forward Bloc. FB existed around 1996-1998. The party was primarily based in northern West Bengal....
and won against the official Left Front candidate at Dinhata. After about seven years he returned to the Forward Bloc.
Guha was seen as an anti-Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...
(CPI(M)) voice within the Left Front. He was vociferous against the state government’s
Government of West Bengal
The Government of West Bengal also known as the State Government of West Bengal, or locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of West Bengal and its 19 districts...
market-driven farm policy. In 2002, he had said that the indiscriminate recruitment of CPI(M) cadres by government departments and frequent increase in their salary has made the West Bengal government bankrupt.
Guha was not keeping well in later life and died on 6 August 2007. Condoling his death the Forward Bloc leader Debabrata Biswas
Debabrata Biswas (politician)
Shri Debabrata Biswas, a politician from All India Forward Bloc, is presently a Member of the Parliament of India representing West Bengal in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.-External links:*...
said that Guha was a “leader of the people and always fought for the rights of the toiling masses.”