Mahammad Hannan (born 1958) is an Indian politician and social worker affiliated with the

All India Forward Bloc The All India Forward Bloc ( AIFB) is a Left-wing nationalism, left-wing nationalist political party in India. It emerged as a Political faction, faction within the Indian National Congress in 1939, led by Subhas Chandra Bose, and was strongest ...

(AIFB). He served as a member of the

West Bengal Legislative Assembly The West Bengal Legislative Assembly (ISO 15919, ISO: ''Paścimabaṅga Vidhānasabhā'') is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of West Bengal, located in eastern India. It consists of 294 members directly elected from single-seat ...

representing the Rampurhat Assembly constituency from 1996 to 2001. As a member of the Left Front coalition, Hannan has been a prominent political figure in the

Birbhum district Birbhum district () is an administrative unit in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the northernmost district of Burdwan division—one of the five administrative divisions of West Bengal. The district headquarters is in Suri. Other impo ...

for several decades, focusing on agricultural reforms and rural development.

Early life and background

Hannan was born in 1958 into a

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

family in the village of Kalisara in

Rampurhat Rampurhat is an important city and a municipality in Birbhum district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Rampurhat subdivision. According to the 2011 census, Rampurhat is the third most populous city in Birbhum ...

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

. He is the son of Mahammad Mahasin. Hannan grew up in an agrarian community during a period of significant political and economic transition in West Bengal. The region was experiencing the implementation of land reforms under the Left Front government that came to power in 1977, which likely influenced his later political affiliations. Although detailed information about his formal education is limited in public records, Hannan is known to have been politically active from a young age, participating in local agricultural workers' movements in the Birbhum district during the 1970s and early 1980s.

Political career

Early political involvement

Hannan began his political journey with the

(AIFB), a left-wing nationalist political party founded by

Subhas Chandra Bose Subhas Chandra Bose (23 January 1897 – 18 August 1945) was an Indian independence movement, Indian nationalist whose defiance of British raj, British authority in India made him a hero among many Indians, but his wartime alliances with ...

. The AIFB was a constituent member of the Left Front coalition that governed West Bengal from 1977 to 2011. Hannan rose through the party ranks in the Birbhum district during the 1980s, primarily advocating for agricultural laborers and small farmers. Before securing elected office, Hannan served in various local governance roles in the Panchayati Raj institutions of Birbhum district. He was actively involved in implementing the land reform policies of the Left Front government at the grassroots level, which included distribution of land to the landless and protection of sharecroppers' rights under Operation Barga.

Legislative tenure (1996–2001)

In the

1996 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election Legislative Assembly elections were held in the Indian state of West Bengal in 1996. The election took place simultaneously with the 1996 Indian general election. This was the last election Jyoti Basu contested, as he retired from politics in 2 ...

, Hannan was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from the Rampurhat Assembly constituency, securing 51,139 votes (44.77%) and defeating BJP candidate Satyen Das, who received 40,916 votes (35.82%). During his legislative tenure, Hannan served on several committees in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, including the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Welfare of Minorities. As a legislator, he advocated for: * Agricultural development and irrigation projects in the drought-prone areas of Birbhum district * Educational infrastructure in rural areas of his constituency * Minority welfare programs * Rural employment schemes One of his notable achievements during this period was securing funding for several irrigation projects in the Rampurhat region, which had historically suffered from water scarcity affecting agricultural productivity.

Electoral defeats and later career

Hannan contested the subsequent

2001 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election Legislative Assembly elections were held in Indian state of West Bengal in 2001 to elect 294 members of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. Seat Allotment Results Left Front led by Communist Party of India (Marxist) won 196 seats, a ...

from the same constituency but lost to

Asish Banerjee Dr. Asish Banerjee is an Indian politician representing Trinamool Congress, who was the minister in charge of the Department of Agriculture in the Government of West Bengal from 2017 to 2021. He is also M.L.A. of West Bengal Legislative Assembl ...

of the

All India Trinamool Congress The All India Trinamool Congress (; AITC), simply known as Trinamool Congress, is an Indian political party that is mainly influential in the state of West Bengal. It was founded by Mamata Banerjee on 1 January 1998 as a breakaway faction f ...

, receiving 47,717 votes (40.97%) against Banerjee's 58,674 votes (50.37%). Despite this electoral setback, Hannan remained active in local politics and continued to serve in various capacities within the All India Forward Bloc party organization. He maintained his presence in district-level politics through involvement in local development committees and social work initiatives. After a hiatus from electoral politics, Hannan ran again in the

2016 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election Legislative Assembly elections were held in 2016 for 294 seats of the ''Vidhan Sabha'' in the Indian state of West Bengal. The All India Trinamool Congress under Mamata Banerjee won 211 seats, and thus was re-elected with an enhanced majority. ...

but faced a significant defeat, receiving only 3,613 votes (1.85%). The seat was retained by Asish Banerjee of the All India Trinamool Congress, who secured 85,435 votes (43.68%).

Community involvement and social work

Agricultural development initiatives

Hannan has been associated with several agricultural cooperatives in the Rampurhat area, working to promote sustainable farming practices among small and marginal farmers. He has advocated for better irrigation facilities, access to agricultural credit, and fair prices for farm produce.

Educational initiatives

Following his legislative tenure, Hannan has been involved with several educational institutions in Birbhum district, particularly those serving minority communities and economically disadvantaged students. He has helped establish primary schools in underserved areas of Rampurhat block and has advocated for improved educational infrastructure.

Public health campaigns

Hannan has participated in health awareness campaigns in rural areas of Birbhum district, focusing on preventive healthcare, sanitation, and access to clean drinking water. During his legislative tenure and afterward, he has advocated for improved healthcare facilities in rural areas of Rampurhat block.

Relief work

He has been active in organizing relief efforts during natural disasters, particularly during the floods that occasionally affect parts of Birbhum district. His community mobilization skills have been noted during such crises.

Political ideology and influence

As a member of the All India Forward Bloc, Hannan's political ideology aligns with the left-nationalist principles espoused by Subhas Chandra Bose, focusing on economic justice and national self-reliance. Throughout his political career, he has advocated for: * Land reforms and agricultural workers' rights * Decentralization of governance through Panchayati Raj institutions * Minority rights and communal harmony * Anti-imperialism and economic sovereignty Hannan represents a generation of grassroots political leaders who rose through the ranks of the Left movement in West Bengal during its period of dominance from the late 1970s through the early 2000s. His political career reflects both the strengths and limitations of left politics in rural Bengal during this period.

Personal life

Hannan maintains a modest lifestyle consistent with his political principles, continuing to reside in his native village of Kalisara in Rampurhat. He is known for his accessibility to constituents and simple living.

Electoral history

References

External links

West Bengal Legislative Assembly

Election Commission of India
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hannan, Mahammad West Bengal MLAs 1996–2001 1958 births Living people People from Birbhum district 20th-century Indian politicians 21st-century Indian politicians Bengali Muslims All India Forward Bloc politicians West Bengal politicians Indian Sunni Muslims Indian social workers