History of Peasant Movement in North Bengal from Naxalbari Peasant Movement to Peasant Movement of 2020: A New Dimension
Author:
Ramendra Nath Bhowmick
Assistant Professor
Department of History
Samuktala Sidhu Kanhu College
Samuktala,Alipurduar,West Bengal
Email: prof.rnbhowmick83@gmail.com
Abstract:: In an agrarian civilization, land was the root of all social structure. Economy of the
society of North Bengal was depended on land. Naturally, village economy and state economy,
social structure was totally depended on land system. Peasants were very important part under
the social structure of North Bengal. They were being exploited by Jotedars, Zamindars and
others officials of the administration. Naturally, they raised their voice against these sorts of
oppression. Under this situation, Naxalbari armed Peasant Movement took place which was a
militant peasant discontent of 1967 under the leadership of Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal
and others. Charu Majumdar has written ‘Historic Eight Documents’. They demanded ‘Land to
the Tiller’. They forcefully captured the surplus land of the Jotedars and Zamindars and
distributed among the landless agricultural labourers. A good numbers of tribal peasants
actively participated in the armed peasant Uprising of 1967. In 2020 again peasants of Punjab,
Hariyana and others parts of India launched a powerful movement against the two agrarian bills
of the central Government. More than hundreds of peasants lost their life to establish their
demand in India. So, the question of land and the problem of the peasantry and their movement
are not assessed properly
Key Words:Armed Peasant Movement,Gram Rakhsya Bahini, Krisak Sabha, Landed Gentry etc