Jyotibhushan Bhattacharya
Indian politician From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Professor Jyotibhushan Bhattacharya (1 May 1926 – 1998) was an Indian politician and scholar. He served as general secretary of the Workers Party of India.[1] He served as a Minister in both of the United Front governments in West Bengal.
Bhattacharya was born on 1 May 1926.[2] He studied at Calcutta University and Leeds University, obtaining M.A. degrees at both universities.[3][4][5] He took part in the Quit India movement and was jailed during the struggle for Indian independence.[3][6] Bhattacharya came into contact with the Democratic Vanguard leader Jibanlal Chatterjee in 1943.[7] After Chatterjee founded the WPI, Bhattacharya became a key leader of the party.[7]
Bhattacharya worked as a lecturer in English at Dibrugarh University, Assam, later shifting to Calcutta University, where he retired as Professor of English.[3][6] During the Sino-Indian War of 1962 cadres of the Communist Party of India, the Socialist Unity Centre of India and WPI were arrested.[8] Bhattacharya, as a leading party member, was one of the WPI cadres caught in this wave of arrests.[9]
Bhattacharya won the Ballygunge constituency seat in the 1967 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election.[10] He obtained 21,153 votes (53.74%).[11] He served as Education Minister in the first United Front cabinet 1967–1968.[3][6]
Bhattacharya retained the Ballygunge seat in the 1969 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election.[10] He obtained 22,941 votes (55.95%).[12] He served as Minister of Information and Public Relation in the second United Front cabinet 1969–1970.[10][6] On 28 May 1969 a mob attacked Bhattacharya's residence.[13]
Bhattarcharya lost his seat in the 1971 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election.[14] He finished in second place with 13,943 (38.42%).[15] During the violent environment of the election campaign, he had to leave the constituency and live elsewhere.[16] In September 1971 he presented his unpublished thesis Fascism: A Developing Trend in India at the Second All India Conference of the Indian School of Social Sciences.[17] According to the thesis, a fascist system of governance was emerging in India under Congress (I) rule.[18] Bhattacharya again contested the Ballygunge seat in the 1972 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, finishing in second place with 18,181 votes (35.49%).[19]
The WPI was split in 1976, with Bhattacharya leading the minority faction.[20] Bhattacharya was seen as closer linked to the Communist Party of India (Marxist).[20] He was expelled from WPI in early 1976, accused of 'anti-party activities' in the party organ Ganabiplab.[1] After his expulsion he founded the Communist Workers Party.[1]
As of the 1980s Bhattacharya was the Head of the Department of English at Calcutta University.[5][21] Bhattacharya died in 1998.[22]
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