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Comrade Moni Singh: A symbol of sacrifice

Published : Sunday, 1 January, 2017 at 12:00 AM  Count : 544
Hasan Tarique Chowdhury
Sacrifice is fundamental for any movement of social emancipation. The history of our democratic and progressive movement repeatedly asserts that great sacrifice was the guiding force for the people's victory. Comrade Moni Singh's life was indeed a symbol of sacrifice. Taking risk of his own life from early age to his last days, he fought for motherland. Our young generation is well acquainted with Latin revolutionary Che Guevara or Fidel Castro. There are some similarities between Latin revolutionaries and Moni Singh. With a self-made local gun, in late 30s he led a historic militant peasant movement in Netrokona of the then Mymensingh district. The picture of young revolutionary Moni Singh still draws strong attraction within toiling masses.  
December 31, 2016 is the 26th death anniversary of the legendary Bangalee revolutionary Comrade Moni Singh. Born in a middle class family in Kolkata on 28 July, 1901, young Moni Singh moved to 'Susong Durgapur' of the then Mymensingh district (now Netrokona) due to untimely death of his father. A schoolboy Moni Singh took part in the struggle against British colonial rule. He joined anti-colonial armed group 'Anushilon' (practice).
In his autobiography he admitted that the spirit of 'Khelafat Movement' and 'Non-Cooperation Movement' against British Raj highly influenced young Moni Singh. Consequently, he became one of those young revolutionaries who took the risk of life to make the country free from British colonialism. British government of that time declared arrest warrant against Moni Singh and other revolutionaries. At that time this type of arrest warrant was equivalent to capital punishment, since the British colonial rulers considered democratic struggle for freedom as equivalent to treason.
Bearing this arrest warrant young Moni Singh continued tireless political campaign all over the country for freedom and self determination. In 1921 he simultaneously organised peasant movement in his own locality of Susong Durgapur and labour movement in Kolkata. It was written by some historian that Moni Singh, as a young trade union leader, was much popular among textile workers of Metiaburuj of Kolkata, and it was due to his honesty and sincerity to the cause of working-class. By his brilliant understanding over Workers movement, even Netaji Subhash Basu, who advocated the interest of factory owners, was compelled to fulfil the demands of textile workers. This made him more popular among textile workers.
By this time the overwhelming wave of the Russian Socialist revolution reached in oppressed India and young Moni Singh was strongly influenced by the thoughts of that revolution and later in 1925 he met the renowned revolutionary Gopen Chakravarty. After discussion with that revolutionary leader he adopted Marxism-Leninism as his political ideology. Obtaining a membership of Communist Party was very difficult at that time. Party membership was given after heavy screening to ensure security of the party.
In 1928, Moni Singh dedicated himself as a full-time activist of the Communist Party and closely involved with trade union movement in Kolkata. His vibrant role in this struggle made him enemy of the ruling class, and he was imprisoned for five years on 9 May, 1930. He was released from jail in 1935 but kept house-arrest till 1937 in his maternal home Susong Durgapur. Being an outstanding leader of the oppressed people Moni Singh never stopped, during his captive-time in Susong Durgapur, he again started mobilising peasants and Khetmajur (agricultural workers) to protect their rights. This time his maternal-uncles, who were jamindar (landlord) of Susong Durgapur became his opposition.
Despite strong obstacle from his own feudal family, revolutionary Moni Singh courageously stood for the just cause of rural poor and led anti-'Tonk' movement.' Tonk was an oppressive taxation system imposed on peasants by feudal lords and even by small landlords. This made him a well-known peasant's leader of that area.
During that time, he was again imprisoned for one and a half years for demanding proper price of Jute. He was given membership of the Communist Party after his release from jail in 1937. Then he decided to restart trade union movement in Kolkata but indigenous communities of Susong Durgapur like 'Hajong' and 'Garo' seriously requested him not to move to Kolkata but to start a movement to abolish 'Tonk System.' Comrade Moni Singh could not ignore this appeal from the rural poor. He wholeheartedly concentrated his activity on 'anti-Tonk movement' and became the unanimous leader of this movement. He was again arrested in 1941 when this movement went to its peak.
In 1944, he was elected as member of presidium of the All Bengal Kishan Shava (National Peasant Association). In 1945, as a Chairman of reception committee of All India Kishan Shava Conference in Netrokona, he played a significant role to enhance the peasant movement of undivided Bengal. Renowned politicians Comrade Mujaffor Ahamed, Comrade Har Kishan Sing Sujeet, Lily Jogi and many other leaders participated in that conference.
British colonialism got defeated but left behind its residuals. From that debris communalism erupted and so-called two nation theory evolved, which was realised by the creation of a religion based Pakistan. Moni Singh and many of his fellow comrades did not accept the so-called 'two nation theory.' They continued struggle for secularism and socialism. Consequently, Pakistani authority declared Communist Party and him outlaw and issued arrest warrant, and also declared Tk 10,000 as a bounty for arresting Comrade Moni Singh. This difficulty compelled Moni Singh to remain underground and thus he had to stay underground for about 20 years since the inception of Pakistan.
Despite this repression Comrade Moni Singh played a pivotal role against Pakistani military autocratic regime. In this tougher period in 1951, banned Communist Party held its 2nd Congress (National Conference) and Moni Singh was elected General Secretary and subsequently in 3rd Conference he was re-elected at the same position. In 1968 he was arrested by Pakistani authority and was released in 1969 by the mass upsurge, but again arrested in the same year. When the Liberation war began in 1971 prisoners broke Rajshahi jail and freed Comrade Moni Singh.
At the time of liberation war, Comrade Moni Singh organised freedom fighters, established special Guerilla Force of NAP-CPB and Chattra Union. He also made a remarkable contribution to organise support from Soviet Union and Socialist countries in favour of our liberation war of 1971. He was elected Advisor to the then Mujibnagar government.
In the independent Bangladesh, he continued the struggle for true democracy and exploitation-free society. For this reason he criticised some wrong policies of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman which practically benefited reactionary forces. Comrade Moni Singh was elected as the President of the Communist Party of Bangladesh in 2nd Congress (national conference) in 1973 and subsequently in 3rd Congress in 1980. After the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman the Communist Party was declared illegal by the military government, and during the military rule of Lt Gen Ziaur Rahman in the middle of 1977, Comrade Moni Singh was again arrested at the age of 77. This legendary revolutionary was politically active up to the age of 84. On February 23, 1984 he became seriously sick and breathed his last on 31 December, 1990.
The life of this revolutionary is still a strong source of inspiration for all patriots of this country. His whole life was full of sacrifice and love for oppressed people. From British to Bangladeshi rulers, none spared him. In spite of this severe repression, no one can separate patriotism and honesty from his struggling life. As the life partner, eminent peasant's leader Comrade Anima Singh also strengthened his struggle to build a just society. When a society is sunk under the idea of consumerism and self-centred thoughts, lessons from the dedication of Comrade Moni Singh become more relevant.
Long live- Comrade Moni Singh.
Advocate Hasan Tarique Chowdhury is Secretary, Democratic Lawyers Association of Bangladesh, and Executive General Secretary, Bangladesh Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organisation


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