Kanti Biswas

Kanti Biswas (Bengali: কান্তি বিশ্বাস), was an Indian communist politician and former minister from West Bengal.

Kanti Biswas
Minister of School Education, Govt. of W.B
In office
1982 – 1991; 1996 - 2006
Succeeded byPartha De
Minister of Youth Affairs and Home (Passports), Govt. of W.B
In office
1977 - 1982
Member of Legislative Assembly
In office
1977 - 1991
Preceded byChandi Pada Mitra
Succeeded byPrabir Banejee
ConstituencyGaighata
Member of Legislative Assembly
In office
1996 - 2006
Preceded byDhiren Mondal
Succeeded byAbani Roy
ConstituencySandeshkhali
Personal details
Born(1932-01-01)1 January 1932
Faridpur, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died27 April 2016(2016-04-27) (aged 84)
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Political partyCPI(M)
Other political
affiliations		National Awami Party (Bhashani)
OccupationPolitician

Early life

Kanti Biswas was born in Namasudra community to Jogendranath Biswas at Bukrail, Kashiani, Faridpur district, Bengal Presidency in British India.[1]

He did M.Com. and was deeply involved in the student politics of Dacca University, starting with the Bengali Language Movement and later started teaching in Quaid E Azam Memorial College.[2]

Kanti represented the National Awami Party and fought against Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in an election. In 1960, he migrated to West Bengal, India when government of Pakistan banned Communist Party and issued a warrant against him.[3][4]

Political career

In 1967, he earned the membership of CPI(M) and was associated with the activities of Kisan Sabha, UCRC and DYFI. He was also the member of Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch and president of Samajik Naya Mancha.

He was one of the few Dalit leaders from CPI(M) who reached till ministerial level during their Government and was also the longest serving Education Minister of the state.[5]

  • In 1977, he first elected from Gaighata constituency in state legislative assembly elections and was allotted with Ministry of Youth Affairs and Home (Passports).[6]
  • In 1982 and 1987, he was re-elected for Gaighata seat successfully.
  • He was elected twice from Sandeshkhali constituency in 1996 and 2001.[7]
  • From 1982 to 2006 he served as the Minister of School Education of Bengal. He was the first dalit education minister in India.
  • In 1981, he was elected to CPI(M) state committee and in 2012 to CPI(M) State Control Commission which he hold till his death.[8]

He had written a memoir Amar Jeevan: Kichu Katha (Bengali) (আমার জীবন: কিছু কথা) which was published in 2014.[1]

Death

He died in 2016 in a private hospital due to lung infections.[8]

References
  1. "A Communist Speaks: Memoirs of a Namasudra - Mainstream". mainstreamweekly.net. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  2. "Ex-minister Kanti Biswas passes away | Kolkata News - Times of India". The Times of India. TNN. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  3. विस्वास, A. K. Biswas एके (12 February 2016). "A Chandal education minister". Forward Press. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  4. Service, Indo-Asian News (28 April 2016). "Former West Bengal minister Kanti Biswas passes away". India News, Breaking News, Entertainment News | India.com. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  5. "The CPI(M) can't evade gender and caste questions". Hindustan Times. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  6. "CPI(M) Leader Kanti Biswas Dead". www.outlookindia.com. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  7. "Former Bengal minister Kanti Biswas dead". NEWSWING. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  8. "CPI(M) Condoles the death of Comrade Kanti Biswas". Communist Party of India (Marxist). 28 April 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
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