415. Bankim Mukhopadhyay (1897-1961),

  [ Promod Dasgupta (lt), Bankim Mukherjee (rt)] Bankim Mukherjee was born in Belur in Howrah as in 1897. He was a famous Parliamentarian and Leader of Workers and Peasants of India. He at first studied in Hindu School and then Presidency College.He joined in Non-Cooperation movement with his boyhood friend and and teacher colleague Radharaman Mitra and was jailed in a jail of Uttarpradesh.Under the instruction of Motilal Nehru came back to Bengal and join Swarajya Party  as an active worker, He, gradually, came in contact with the revolutionary Bhupendranath Datta and joined in Workers and Peasants Movement in India He conducted the strike called by the workers of Chengail Jute Workers Union in 1927 and Burrabazar Coachman's Strike, 1928-29. He then joined in Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930 and was jailed for several times.  In jail he came in contact with Marxism and  became a member of the Communist Party of India in 1936. In 1937 he was elected to the Bengal Legislative Assembly.  He was the first elected Communist member in Legislative Assembly.He became one of the founder of  All India Kisan Sabha in 1936.The developments on the peasant front culminated in the formation of the All India Kisan Sabha(AIKS) at the Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress in April 1936 with Swami Sahajanand Saraswati elected as its first President. The other prominent members of this Sabha were N.G. Ranga,Ram Manohar Lohia, Jayaprakash Narayan, Acharya Narendra Dev and Bankim Mukerji. In 1952 and in 1957 he was elected in Budge Budge Assembly Seat defeating his Congress rival Kalipada Mukherjee. He was jailed for the last time in 1959 in Food Movementof Bengal. He married Santa Volerao on Maharashtra, assistant Secretary, AITUC .