Sudhanwa Debbarma

Sudhanwa Debbarma (also spelt Sudhanya Debbarma) (26 February 1918 – 1999) was an Indian Kokborok writer, Political leader and member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He was the former Speaker of Tripura Legislative Assembly.^[3][4] He was the veteran leader of Ganamukti Parishad. He was a member of Tripura Legislative Assembly from Takarjala (Vidhan Sabha constituency) (1977-1988).^[5][6]

Sudhanwa Debbarma
Born	(1918-02-26)26 February 1918 Sutarmura, Bishalgarh, Tripura (princely state)
Died	1999 (aged 80–81)
Nationality	Indian
Citizenship	India
Alma mater	Umakanta Academy (Class-12) Shreekail College Bangladesh (B.A)
Occupation(s)	Writer, Politician
Organization	Ganamukti Parishad
Known for	Father of Kokborok language & literature^[1]
Political party	Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Parents	Budhikumar Debbarma (father) Indrabati Devi (mother)

Sudhanwa Debbarma
Member of Legislative Assembly, Tripura
In office 1977^[2]–1988
Preceded by	Gunapada Jamatia
Succeeded by	Tarani Debbarma
Constituency	Takarjala (Vidhan Sabha constituency)

Early life

Debbarma hails from a small Indian state Tripura. He was born in a lower-middle-class family in Sutarmura village under Bishalgarh Sub-division, West Tripura district (present day Sepahijala district). He spent his primary school days in his village, after primary education he came to Agartala for higher education.^{[citation needed]} He completed his higher secondary education from Umakanta Academy. After higher secondary he went to Bangladesh for doing graduation.^{[citation needed]}

Political career

Debbarma and other activists started revolution against Tripura king to spread education in Tiprasa population and they established Tripura Janasiksha Samiti in 1945. He was the founding president of the organization.^[7][8] The king issued arrest warrant against the Janashiksha Samity leaders and he was arrested and severely beaten up inside the jail.^[9] After Janashiksha Samity Sudhanwa and other leaders demanded the right to life and livelihood of the Tripuri people. On 15 August 1948, Sudhanwa, Dasarath Deb, Hemanta Debbarma, Bidya Debbarma and other leaders formed Ganamukti Parishad,^[10] this organization was formed against the torture of bureaucrats and police of Tripura.^[8] He was inspired by communist ideology.^[11] He became a member of the Communist Party of India. When the Communist Party was divided in 1964, he took the side of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and was elected to the Tripura state committee of the CPI(M). In 1977, Tripura Legislative Assembly election he was elected for the first time by CPI(M) ticket from Takarjala (Vidhan Sabha constituency).^[12][13]

Revolution

Tripura Janasiksha Samiti

Main article: Tripura Janasiksha Samiti

On 27 December 1945 AD (11th Pousa of 1352 BE) the Tripura Janasiksha Samiti came into being at Durgachoudhury Para under the Jirania Block. This organisation was established by some enlightened Tripuri youths Dasarath Deb, Sudhanwa Debbarma, Hemanta Debbarma and others with an avowed object to set up schools and spread education among the children of the down-trodden Tripuris in the state of Tripura.^[14] At that time, the movement of the Janasiksha Samiti speedily transformed into a mass movement.^{[citation needed]}

In that time, the Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman's education minister Brown Sahib was compelled to open nearly three hundred schools in rural area.^[15] The Samiti could establish 488 primary schools in different remote areas of the state with the active co-operation.^[16] Subsequently, in 1950–51, most of these schools were recognized by the State Government.^[17]

List of works

Sudhanwa wrote many novels, poems and short stories. The first Kokborok magazine "Kwtal Kothoma" was published by him in 1954 AD.

Novels

Kokborok title	English title	Publisher	Year	Description	Reference
Chethuang			1954	A kokborok novel	^[18]
Hachuk Khurio (part-1)	In the lap of Hills	Kokborok Sahitya Sabha	1987	The first modern kokborok novel	^[19]^[20]
Hachuk Khurio (part-2)	In the lap of Hills		1994		^[21]

Poems

Kokborok title	English title	Publisher	Year
Himdi do			1983
Kha kwrak			1983

Drama

Year	Title	Publisher	Description	Reference
1948	Egiye Cholo		The first Kokborok Drama	^[22]
	Porikhit Bidruho

See also

• Dasarath Deb
• Bidya Debbarma
• Ganamukti Parishad

References

1. Akademi, Sahitya (2005). Annual Report. Sahitya Akademi. p. 129. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
2. "IndiaVotes AC: Tripura 1977". IndiaVotes. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
3. Karna, Mahendra Narain (1998). Social movements in North-East India. Indus Pub. Co. p. 134. ISBN 81-7387-083-7. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
4. "Kokborok language gains popularity". www.telegraphindia.com. 17 December 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
5. "Tripura Assembly Election Results in 1977". www.elections.in. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
6. "Tripura Assembly Election Results in 1983". www.elections.in. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
7. "CPIM, Tripura State Committee". cpimtripura.org. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
8. "Modern Tripura". www.tripura.org.in.
9. Das, Gautam. "TRIPURA LEFT FRONT GOVERNMENT WILL PROTEST 10,323 TEACHERS AFFECTED BY COURT'S ORDER". ganashakti.com. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
10. Mariam, Dhawale. "Inspiring Experience of Left-Led Tribal Movement in Tripura | Peoples Democracy". peoplesdemocracy.in. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
11. Khan, Saqib (17 February 2018). "Why the Left is the Most Popular Force Among Tribals in Tripura". NewsClick. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
12. "Takarjala Election and Results 2018, Candidate list, Winner, Runner-up, Current MLA and Previous MLAs". www.elections.in. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
13. "Takarajala Assembly Constituency Election Result - Legislative Assembly Constituency". resultuniversity.com. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
14. "Tripura Tribal Employee Committee on Sunday organized 71st Jana Siksha Diwas at Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhawan". www.tripurainfoway.com. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
15. . People's Democracy. Communist Party of India (Marxist). 27 June 2010. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
16. Das, Haripada. "Dasaratha Deb Birth Centenary Celebrations Begin in Tripura | Peoples Democracy". peoplesdemocracy.in. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
17. "CPI-M observed 73rd Janashiksha Diwas". www.tripuraindia.in. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
18. Prakashani, Nabachandana (2016). চেথুয়াং. p. 80. ISBN 9789380357843. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
19. "SYLLABUS & PROGRAMME STRUCTURE" (PDF). MBB University. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
20. "Syllabus of Kokborok" (PDF). Tripura University. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
21. "হাচুক খুরিঅ". Tripura University. Kokborok Sahitya Samsad. 2015. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
22. "এগিয়ে চল: নাটক". Sunil Debbarma. 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2020.

Bibliography

• Basu, Pradip Kumar (1996). The Communist Movement in Tripura. Progressive Publishers. ISBN 9788186383285.
• Association, Indian political science (2007). The Indian Journal of Political Science. Indian Political Science Association.
• Mohanta, Bijan (2004). Tripura in the Light of Socio-political Movements Since 1945. Progressive Publishers.
• Saikia, Yasmin; Baishya, Amit R. (2017). Northeast India A place of Relations. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-19129-7.
• Bareh, Hamlet (2001). Encyclopaedia of North-East India (8 ed.). Mittal Publications. ISBN 81-7099-787-9.