Sudhanwa Debbarma (also spelt Sudhanya Debbarma) (26 February 1918 – 1999) was an Indian

Kokborok Kokborok (or Tripuri) is a Tibeto-Burman language of the Indian state of Tripura and neighbouring areas of Bangladesh. Its name comes from ''kók'' meaning "verbal" or "language" and ''borok'' meaning "people" or "human", It is one of the anci ...

writer, Political leader and member of the

Communist Party of India (Marxist) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (abbreviated as CPI(M)) is a Communism in India, communist List of political parties in India, political party in India. It is the largest communist party in India in terms of membership and electora ...

. He was the former

Speaker Speaker most commonly refers to: * Speaker, a person who produces speech * Loudspeaker, a device that produces sound ** Computer speakers Speaker, Speakers, or The Speaker may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * "Speaker" (song), by David ...

Tripura Legislative Assembly The Tripura Legislative Assembly or Tripura Vidhan Sabha is the unicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tripura, with 60 Member of the Legislative Assembly (India), Members of the Legislative Assembly. The present Assembly is located in G ...

. He was the veteran leader of

Ganamukti Parishad Ganamukti Parishad (Bengali language, Bengali for 'Tripura State Indigenous People's Liberation Council') is a left-wing politics, left-wing movement working amongst the Tripuri people, Tripuri peoples of Tripura, in north-eastern India. It is af ...

. He was a member of

from Takarjala (Vidhan Sabha constituency) (1977-1988).

Early life

Debbarma hails from a small Indian state

Tripura Tripura () is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a populat ...

. He was born in a lower-middle-class family in Sutarmura village under

Bishalgarh Bishalgarh is a major town located in the Indian state of Tripura & a Municipal Council in Sipahijala district. As of 2001 census Bishalgarh has a population of 23,721. 12,248 people are male. 11,473 are female. See also * List of cities and t ...

Sub-division,

West Tripura district West Tripura is an administrative district in the state of Tripura in India. The district headquarters are located at Agartala. As of 2012 it is the most populous district of Tripura (out of 8). Geography Climate District profile The inform ...

(present day Sepahijala district). He spent his primary school days in his village, after primary education he came to

Agartala Agartala (, , ) is the capital and the List of cities and towns in Tripura, largest city of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tripura, situated on the banks of Haora River, Haora/Saidra River, about east of the border ...

for higher education. He completed his higher secondary education from Umakanta Academy. After higher secondary he went to

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

for doing graduation.

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. The king issued arrest warrant against the Janashiksha Samity leaders and he was arrested and severely beaten up inside the jail. After Janashiksha Samity Sudhanwa and other leaders demanded the right to life and livelihood of the

Tripuri people The Tripuri people (Kokborok language, Kókborok: ''Tripuri dópha rok''), also known as Tripura, Tipra, Twipra, Tipperah, are a Tibeto-Burman-speaking ethnic group of Northeast India, Indian state of Tripura and Bangladesh. They are the descend ...

. On 15 August 1948, Sudhanwa, Dasarath Deb, Hemanta Debbarma,

Bidya Debbarma Bidya Chandra Debbarma (11 April 1916, Behalabari – 18 June 2010, Agartala) was a communist politician from the Indian state of Tripura. A prominent leader of the communist movement in Tripura, Debbarma spent a total of nine years in jail and ...

and other leaders formed

, this organization was formed against the torture of bureaucrats and police of

. He was inspired by communist ideology. He became a member of the

Communist Party of India The Communist Party of India (CPI) is a political party in India. The CPI considers the Foundation of the Communist Party of India, December 26, 1925 Cawnpore (Kanpur) conference as its foundation date. Between 1946 and 1951, the CPI led m ...

. When the Communist Party was divided in

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...

, he took the side of the

and was elected to the Tripura state committee of the CPI(M). In 1977,

election he was elected for the first time by

CPI(M) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (abbreviated as CPI(M)) is a communist political party in India. It is the largest communist party in India in terms of membership and electoral seats, and one of the six national parties of India. ...

ticket from Takarjala (Vidhan Sabha constituency).

Revolution

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 Jirania is a small town in the Indian state of Tripura on the banks of river Saidra (Haora). It is a Nagar Panchayat and also the headquarters of Jirania Rural Development Block. It is also the headquarters of Jirania Sub Division. It lies on ...

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

. At that time, the movement of the Janasiksha Samiti speedily transformed into a mass movement. In that time, the Maharaja

Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur (19 August 1908 – 17 May 1947) was a king (or ''Maharaja'') of Tripura State. He is known as "the architect of modern Tripura". He was succeeded by his son, Maharaja Kirit Bikram Kishore Debbarman, who was ...

's education minister

Brown Sahib Brown Sahib is a term used to refer to brown-skinned people who imitate the Western—typically English—lifestyle. It is also used to refer to those have been heavily influenced by Western—usually British—culture and thinking. It is most ...

was compelled to open nearly three hundred schools in rural area. The Samiti could establish 488 primary schools in different remote areas of the state with the active co-operation. Subsequently, in 1950–51, most of these schools were recognized by the State Government.

List of works

Sudhanwa wrote many novels, poems and short stories. The first

magazine "Kwtal Kothoma" was published by him in 1954 AD.

Novels

Poems

Drama

References

Bibliography

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Debbarma, Sudhanwa Speakers of the Tripura Legislative Assembly 1918 births 1999 deaths Tripuri people People from West Tripura district Communist Party of India (Marxist) politicians from Tripura Tripura MLAs 1977–1983 Tripura MLAs 1983–1988 Writers from Tripura