Kanu Sanyal
Encyclopedia
Kanu Sanyal, , was an India
n communist politician. In 1967, he was one of the main leader of the Naxalbari uprising
. He was one of the founding leaders of Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)
(CPI(ML)) formed in 1969.
He announced the formation of the original CPI (ML) on Vladimir Lenin
's birthday in 1969 at a public rally in Calcutta. He came out with the seminal Terai report on revolution in India.
During this period, the communist-sympathetic media in West Bengal
portrayed him as a "great revolutionary" and compared him to the likes of Mahatma Gandhi
and Jatin Das, largely because of his charisma and his public showmanship, such as his displays of "wealth-renunciation" and his publicity campaigns where he tried to identify with the proletariat
. Massive propaganda campaigns in his favor were financed by the communist politburo to that effect. Information about the secret inner workings of Sanyal's organization have been difficult to obtain. Nonetheless, political analysts write that his political paradigm was based on the concept of "Jugantar
" in opposition to the "Anushilan" paradigm implemented by the Communist Party of India
and the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
.
Sanyal proposed that the Jugantar revolutionaries be a highly secretive and cabalistic group who would periodically surface to commit acts of terrorism such as political assassinations and armory raids. Sanyal actively solicited help from the communist regime in neighboring China
to further his goals. Sanyal had publicly declared on several occasions that he was receiving some kind of support from the Chinese government. It was never established as to whether that support was moral, tactical or financial. The Indian home ministry has argued that Sanyal only managed to obtain ideological support from China.
After the failure of the Naxalite
uprising, Sanyal went into hiding. The death of his colleague Charu Majumdar
was followed by the breakup of the Naxalite movement, and Sanyal claimed to have abandoned violent means and accepted parliamentary practice as a form of revolutionary activity http://www.flonnet.com/fl2221/stories/20051021008801000.htm.
, Andhra Pradesh
in the case known as the Parvatipuram Naxalite Conspiracy case.He was convicted in the Parvatipuram Conspiracy Case, by the Sessions Judge.
Sanyal was released from jail in 1977, following the shift of government in India as well as in West Bengal. Jyoti Basu
, the new CPI(M) chief minister, personally intervened to ensured Sanyal's release. By the time of his release, Sanyal had publicly repudiated the original strategy of armed struggle of the CPI(ML).
After his release Sanyal rallied his supporters and formed the Organising Committee of Communist Revolutionaries (OCCR).
. Sanyal became the leader of COI(ML).
. On December he was detained following a manifestation.
On January 18, 2006, Sanyal was arrested along with other fellow agitators who were also protesting against closures of tea gardens in the region for disrupting a Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express
train at the New Jalpaiguri Railway Station in Siliguri
, North Bengal
, .
at his residence at Seftullajote village, 25 km Siliguri (West Bengal) from where Naxal Movement began under his leadership. 78-year-old Sanyal was suffering from old-age related ailments. At the time of his death he was general secretary of a new CPI(ML)
, formed by merger of several splinter groups of the original party.
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 communist politician. In 1967, he was one of the main leader of the Naxalbari uprising
Naxalbari
Naxalbari is the name of a village and a community development block in northern part of the state of West Bengal, India. Naxalbari block comes under the jurisdiction of Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district. Naxalbari became famous for the left wing revolt that took place in the late...
. He was one of the founding leaders of Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)
The Communist Party of India was formed by the All India Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries at a congress in Calcutta in 1969. The foundation of the party was declared by Kanu Sanyal at a mass-meeting in Calcutta on the 22nd of April .-History:CPI advocated armed revolution and...
(CPI(ML)) formed in 1969.
Formation and growth of CPI (ML)
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
's birthday in 1969 at a public rally in Calcutta. He came out with the seminal Terai report on revolution in India.
During this period, the communist-sympathetic media in 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...
portrayed him as a "great revolutionary" and compared him to the likes of Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
and Jatin Das, largely because of his charisma and his public showmanship, such as his displays of "wealth-renunciation" and his publicity campaigns where he tried to identify with the proletariat
Proletariat
The proletariat is a term used to identify a lower social class, usually the working class; a member of such a class is proletarian...
. Massive propaganda campaigns in his favor were financed by the communist politburo to that effect. Information about the secret inner workings of Sanyal's organization have been difficult to obtain. Nonetheless, political analysts write that his political paradigm was based on the concept of "Jugantar
Jugantar
Jugantar or Yugantar was one of the two main secret revolutionary trends operating in Bengal for Indian independence.This association, like Anushilan Samiti started in the guise of suburban fitness club. Several Jugantar members were arrested, hanged, or deported for life to the Cellular Jail in...
" in opposition to the "Anushilan" paradigm implemented by the Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India
The Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925...
and the 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...
.
Sanyal proposed that the Jugantar revolutionaries be a highly secretive and cabalistic group who would periodically surface to commit acts of terrorism such as political assassinations and armory raids. Sanyal actively solicited help from the communist regime in neighboring China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
to further his goals. Sanyal had publicly declared on several occasions that he was receiving some kind of support from the Chinese government. It was never established as to whether that support was moral, tactical or financial. The Indian home ministry has argued that Sanyal only managed to obtain ideological support from China.
After the failure of the Naxalite
Naxalite
The word Naxal, Naxalite or Naksalvadi is a generic term used to refer to various militant Communist groups operating in different parts of India under different organizational envelopes...
uprising, Sanyal went into hiding. The death of his colleague Charu Majumdar
Charu Majumdar
Charu Majumdar was a communist revolutionary from India. Charu Majumdar's life is a story of "riches to rags". Born in a progressive landlord family in Siliguri in 1918, he not only dedicated his entire life to peasants' cause but also authored the historic 1968 Naxalbari uprising, the ideology...
was followed by the breakup of the Naxalite movement, and Sanyal claimed to have abandoned violent means and accepted parliamentary practice as a form of revolutionary activity http://www.flonnet.com/fl2221/stories/20051021008801000.htm.
Arrest
He was eventually cornered and arrested in August 1970. News of his arrest sparked of region-wide violence by the radical communists. CPI(ML) cadres destroyed property, raided and attacked educational institutions, and engaged in rioting.Jail life
For seven years Sanyal was imprisoned in a jail in VisakhapatnamVisakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam is a major sea port on the south east coast of India. With a population of approximately 1.7 million, it is the second largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh and the third largest city on the east coast of India after Kolkata and Chennai. According to the history, the city was...
, Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
in the case known as the Parvatipuram Naxalite Conspiracy case.He was convicted in the Parvatipuram Conspiracy Case, by the Sessions Judge.
Sanyal was released from jail in 1977, following the shift of government in India as well as in West Bengal. Jyoti Basu
Jyoti Basu
Jyoti Basu was an Indian politician belonging to the Communist Party of India from West Bengal, India. He served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal from 1977 to 2000, making him the longest-serving Chief Minister of any Indian state. Basu was a member of the CPI Politburo from the time of the...
, the new CPI(M) chief minister, personally intervened to ensured Sanyal's release. By the time of his release, Sanyal had publicly repudiated the original strategy of armed struggle of the CPI(ML).
After his release Sanyal rallied his supporters and formed the Organising Committee of Communist Revolutionaries (OCCR).
Formation of COI (ML)
In 1985 Sanyal's faction along with five other groups, merged to form the Communist Organisation of India (Marxist-Leninist)Communist Organisation of India (Marxist-Leninist)
Communist Organisation of India was a political organisation in India. COI was formed in May 1985 through the merger of six different groups;*Organising Committee of Communist Revolutionaries led by Kanu Sanyal...
. Sanyal became the leader of COI(ML).
Later years
As of late 2006, Sanyal became a prominent figure in the opposition to land acquisition in SingurSingur
Singur is a census town in Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Singur railway station is 34 km from Howrah Station on the Howrah-Tarakeswar line. It is 2 km ahead of Kamarkundu junction, the crossing point of Howrah-Bardhaman chord and Howrah-Tarakeshwar lines. It is on...
. On December he was detained following a manifestation.
On January 18, 2006, Sanyal was arrested along with other fellow agitators who were also protesting against closures of tea gardens in the region for disrupting a Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express
Rajdhani Express
Rajdhani Express is a passenger train service in India connecting New Delhi with other important destinations, especially state capitals. Rajdhani means "The Capital" in Hindi.- History :...
train at the New Jalpaiguri Railway Station in Siliguri
Siliguri
Siliguri is a city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located in the Siliguri Corridor or Chicken's Neck - a very narrow strip of land linking mainland India to its north-eastern states. It is also the transit point for air, road and rail traffic to the neighbouring countries of Nepal,...
, North Bengal
North Bengal
North Bengal is a term used for the northern parts of Bangladesh and West Bengal. The Bangladesh part denotes the Rajshahi Division. Generally it is the area lying west of Jamuna River and north of Padma River, and includes the Barind Tract. The West Bengal part denotes Cooch Behar, Darjeeling,...
, .
Death
On 23 Mar 2010, he was found hangingHanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
at his residence at Seftullajote village, 25 km Siliguri (West Bengal) from where Naxal Movement began under his leadership. 78-year-old Sanyal was suffering from old-age related ailments. At the time of his death he was general secretary of a new CPI(ML)
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Kanu Sanyal)
Communist Party of India is a communist party in India. The party is one of many working under the name of CPI. The party general secretary was Kanu Sanyal...
, formed by merger of several splinter groups of the original party.