Mohit Sen
Encyclopedia
Mohit Sen born on March 24, 1929, in Calcutta, and died in Hyderabad on May 3, 2003 was a well-known communist intellectual. He was general secretary of the United Communist Party of India
at the time of his death.
family. His father, Mr. Justice A.N. Sen, was a judge of the Calcutta High Court
and his mother, Mrinalini Sen (née Sinha), was an eminent dancer. His maternal grandfather was Major N.P. Sinha, a member of the Indian Medical Service
and his mother's elder uncle was Lord Satyendra Prasanno Sinha, the first Indian Governor of Bihar
. On his mother's side he belonged to the zamindari family of Raipur in Birbhum, a district in present day West Bengal
. He had five other brothers, the eldest of whom was Shri Pratap Chandra Sen, a brilliant student of history at Presidency College
, Calcutta, who rose to the top of a mercantile firm in Calcutta in spite of remaining a closet communist. Mohit Sen had his early education at the Presidency College, Calcutta, where he was a student of Professor Susobhan Sarkar
, and from where he came First Class First in his BA (Hons.) examination. Later he studied at the University of Cambridge
, UK
.
, in 1948, he joined the Communist Party of India
(CPI) as a 'candidate-member'. Also in Cambridge he met and married Vanaja Iyengar, who became an eminent mathematician later, in 1950. After marriage the couple moved to the People’s Republic of China.
Sen went to the China International Communist School in Beijing
between 1950 to 1953. After his return to India, Mohit Sen worked in the CPI central office in New Delhi
and also for its publishing house during 1953-62. Later he became party organiser and teacher in Andhra Pradesh
.
, who was then prime minister, to visiting Soviet leaders, Nikolai Bulganin
and Nikita Khrushchev
in 1955, aptly summarizes the CPI's position then. To quote Nehru,
Mohit Sen stood for collaboration with Congress
for fighting against imperialist forces. When the CPI split, and gave raise to a new party the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
, Sen remained with the original CPI, under chairmanship of S.A. Dange, which was following nationalist line. He became a national council member of CPI in 1966 and was elected to party central executive committee in 1971.
Sen parted ways with the CPI, following its anti-Congress stand, in 1978, following Indira Gandhi
's emergency and subsequent failure in the election.
In 1985, Sen joined the Indian Communist Party
and when it merged with the All India Communist Party
in 1988 to become United Communist Party of India
, Sen became its general secretary, a post he held for 15 years till his death. At the time of his death Sen, 74, was a widower and had no children.
, the famous historian had opined about the book that
United Communist Party of India
United Communist Party of India , is a political party in India. It was formed in 1987 when the Indian Communist Party merged with the All India Communist Party. Veteran communist leader Mohit Sen was the general secretary of the party until his death in 2003.UCPI participates in the Confederation...
at the time of his death.
Early life and education
Sen was born in to a progressive and westernized Brahmo SamajBrahmo Samaj
Brahmo Samaj is the societal component of the Brahmo religion which is mainly practiced today as the Adi Dharm after its eclipse in Bengal consequent to the exit of the Tattwabodini Sabha from its ranks in 1859. It was one of the most influential religious movements responsible for the making of...
family. His father, Mr. Justice A.N. Sen, was a judge of the Calcutta High Court
Calcutta High Court
The Calcutta High Court is the oldest High Court in India. It was established as the High Court of Judicature at Fort William on 1 July 1862 under the High Courts Act, 1861. It has jurisdiction over the state of West Bengal and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The High Court...
and his mother, Mrinalini Sen (née Sinha), was an eminent dancer. His maternal grandfather was Major N.P. Sinha, a member of the Indian Medical Service
Indian Medical Service
The Indian Medical Service was one of the military medical services, which also had some civilian functions, in British India. It served during the two world wars, and was in existence until the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947...
and his mother's elder uncle was Lord Satyendra Prasanno Sinha, the first Indian Governor of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. On his mother's side he belonged to the zamindari family of Raipur in Birbhum, a district in present day 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...
. He had five other brothers, the eldest of whom was Shri Pratap Chandra Sen, a brilliant student of history at Presidency College
Presidency College
Presidency College could refer to the following Indian institutions:* Presidency College, Chennai* Presidency College, Kolkata*Presidency College, Bangalore...
, Calcutta, who rose to the top of a mercantile firm in Calcutta in spite of remaining a closet communist. Mohit Sen had his early education at the Presidency College, Calcutta, where he was a student of Professor Susobhan Sarkar
Susobhan Sarkar
-Background and education:Sarkar was born into a Brahmo family of Dhaka. After attending Dhaka Collegiate School and then studying history at Presidency College, Calcutta, he continued his studies at Jesus College, Oxford from 1923 to 1925. His daughter was Sipra Sarkar, a brilliant student of...
, and from where he came First Class First in his BA (Hons.) examination. Later he studied at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
In communist movement
While in CambridgeCambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, in 1948, he joined 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...
(CPI) as a 'candidate-member'. Also in Cambridge he met and married Vanaja Iyengar, who became an eminent mathematician later, in 1950. After marriage the couple moved to the People’s Republic of China.
Sen went to the China International Communist School in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
between 1950 to 1953. After his return to India, Mohit Sen worked in the CPI central office in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
and also for its publishing house during 1953-62. Later he became party organiser and teacher in 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...
.
Political life
Mohit Sen arrived in India during a period when India had won her Independence. The appraisal of the CPI at that time was that the country had not really got freedom, but was still a 'semi-colony' of Britain. The following words of Jawaharlal NehruJawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
, who was then prime minister, to visiting Soviet leaders, Nikolai Bulganin
Nikolai Bulganin
Nikolai Alexandrovich Bulganin was a prominent Soviet politician, who served as Minister of Defense and Premier of the Soviet Union . The Bulganin beard is named after him.-Early career:...
and Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
in 1955, aptly summarizes the CPI's position then. To quote Nehru,
Until this year (1955) the Communist Party was saying that Indian people were not independent; they even opposed our National Day celebrations.... They also said that when they were in doubt about the right line of action, they had to get directions from the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Early in 1951-52, some principal leaders of the Communist Party went to MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
secretly, that is without passports. They came back and said that they had got directions from Mr. Joseph StalinJoseph StalinJoseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
. At least this is what they said. The line then laid down was one of full opposition (to the Government) and, where possible, petty insurrections.
Mohit Sen stood for collaboration with Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
for fighting against imperialist forces. When the CPI split, and gave raise to a new party 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...
, Sen remained with the original CPI, under chairmanship of S.A. Dange, which was following nationalist line. He became a national council member of CPI in 1966 and was elected to party central executive committee in 1971.
Sen parted ways with the CPI, following its anti-Congress stand, in 1978, following Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
's emergency and subsequent failure in the election.
In 1985, Sen joined the Indian Communist Party
Indian Communist Party
The Indian Communist Party was a small communist group in India, led by U. Krishnappa from Karnataka. In May 1985 ICP merged into the Communist Organisation of India ....
and when it merged with the All India Communist Party
All India Communist Party
The All India Communist Party was a communist party in India. It was emerged after a split in the Communist Party of India in 1980, by a section of CPI cadres dissatisfied with the political changes that occurred during the 1978 Bhatinda conference of CPI. During most of the 1970s CPI had supported...
in 1988 to become United Communist Party of India
United Communist Party of India
United Communist Party of India , is a political party in India. It was formed in 1987 when the Indian Communist Party merged with the All India Communist Party. Veteran communist leader Mohit Sen was the general secretary of the party until his death in 2003.UCPI participates in the Confederation...
, Sen became its general secretary, a post he held for 15 years till his death. At the time of his death Sen, 74, was a widower and had no children.
Writer
Sen was a prolific writer; credited to him are following books:- Revolution in India — Problems and Perspectives
- Glimpses of the History of the Communist movement in India
- Maoism and Chinese Revolution
- Congress and socialism
- Naxalites and the Communists, and
- A Traveller And The Road: A Journey Of An Indian Communist.
A Traveller and the Road: A Journey of an Indian Communist
He had published his autobiography A Traveller and the Road: A Journey of an Indian Communist in March 2003, few months before his demise. The book brought out Sen's evolution as an independent leftist thinker. Eric HobsbawmEric Hobsbawm
Eric John Ernest Hobsbawm , CH, FBA, is a British Marxist historian, public intellectual, and author...
, the famous historian had opined about the book that
- ”… it is a most remarkable book, written with unremitting passion and love, with acute observation of those who gave their lives to the case, but with skeptical judgment. In my view no more illuminating first-hand book on the history of Indian Communism has been written, nor is likely to be written… India was lucky to enter independence with people as honest, as selfless, and as devoted to service of the people as he.”
External links
- Satchidanda Mohany: A Man called Mohit Sen An obituary in The Hindu, Chennai.
- Kanwalpreet: The memoirs of a Communist A review of A Traveller and the Road: The Journey of an Indian Communist appearing in The Sunday Tribune, Chandigarh
- Blog on Mohit Sen