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{{Short description|Indian politician (1925–2001)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
'''Apurbalal Majumdar''' (1925–2001) was an Indian politician. Initially a member of the [[Scheduled Castes Federation]], he was later associated with the [[All India Forward Bloc]]. In the 1950s he emerged as a leader of [[Namasudra]] refugees from [[East Bengal]]. He was elected to the [[West Bengal Legislative Assembly]] seven times.<ref name=tte23/> He served as Deputy Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly 1969-1970 and as its Speaker 1971–1977. He later became a leader of the [[Indian National Congress|Indian National Congress(I)]].

==Youth==
Majumdar was born in Brahmaganj ([[Faridpur District]]) in 1925, son of Raimohan Majumdar.<ref name=tte23/><ref name=who/><ref name=who82>''[https://books.google.at/books?id=VFm4AAAAIAAJ Who's who in 1982 Assembly Election, West Bengal: Personalities and Party Manifesto]''. Merchants' Club, 1982. p. viii</ref><ref name=who89>''[https://books.google.at/books?id=qHFmAAAAMAAJ India Who's who]''. INFA Publications., 1989. p. 126</ref> He belonged to the [[Namasudra]] community.<ref name=sba>Sekhar Bandyopadhyay, Anasua Basu Ray Chaudhury. ''[https://books.google.at/books?id=UBpkEAAAQBAJ&pg=RA1-PT176 Caste and Partition in Bengal: The Story of Dalit Refugees, 1946-1961]''. Oxford University Press, 2022. p. 186</ref><ref name=pkch>Prafulla K. Chakrabarti. ''[https://books.google.at/books?id=WAscAAAAIAAJ The Marginal Men: The Refugees and the Left Political Syndrome in West Bengal]''. Lumière Books, 1990. p. 171</ref> Majumdar went to school at the Barisal Zilla School, then studied at [[Government P.C. College, Bagerhat|P.C. College]] in [[Bagerhat]], the [[Krishnagar Government College]] and the [[Department of Law, University of Calcutta|University Law College]].<ref name=who/><ref name=who82/> He obtained M.A. degree in economics and a LL.B. (Law degree) from the [[University of Calcutta]].<ref name=who/>

Majumdar began his political career as a follower of [[B.R. Ambedkar]] and a disciple of [[Jogendra Nath Mandal|Jogendranath Mondal]], the leader of the [[Scheduled Castes Federation]] in Bengal.<ref name=tte23/><ref name=dse>Dwaipayan Sen. ''[https://books.google.at/books?id=gORfDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA262 The Decline of the Caste Question: Jogendranath Mandal and the Defeat of Dalit Politics in Bengal]''. Cambridge University Press, 2018. p. 262</ref><ref name=nbro>Nirode Behari Roy. ''[A People in Distress Being a Connected Account of the Names from 1812 A.D. Down to the Present Day Together with a Study of Their Antiquity, Vol. 2]''. Kadambini Roy, 1992. pp. 239-241</ref> Between 1945 and 1948 Majumdar was the president of the Bengal Scheduled Castes Students Federation, and between 1945 and 1946 he was the vice president of the All India Scheduled Castes Students Federation.<ref name=who/> In 1946 he became the editor of the weekly ''Jagaran''.<ref name=who/><ref name=who89/> He would go on to become an advocate (lawyer) at the [[Calcutta High Court]].<ref name=who/><ref name=who89/> In 1951 Majumdar became the president of the Progressive Backward People's Association.<ref name=who/>

==1957 Bettiah satyagrah==
Majumdar rose to prominence during the struggle of East Bengal refugees of the Bettiah camp in [[Champaran District]] of [[Bihar]] in 1957. In response to the appalling conditions at the Bettiah camp thousands of refugees deserted the camp and arrived in Howrah and Calcutta (estimates vary from 7,000 to 15,000).<ref name=sba/> The majority installed themselves as squatters at [[Howrah|Howrah Maidan]] whilst a smaller section squatted the platforms of the [[Sealdah railway station]].<ref name=sba/><ref name=pkch/> Conditions among the Bettiah refugees were very difficult, on average six people died every day.<ref name=sba/> The United Central Refugee Council, linked to the left-wing parties, sought to mobilize the refugees.<ref name=sba/> An Action Committee was formed. Majumdar did not have influence in the Calcutta-based refugee organisations but the refugees who trusted him as he was a Namasudra himself.<ref name=use/> Some 90% of the refugees at Howrah Maidan and Sealdah station were Namasudras, and it was Majumdar who emerged as their leader.<ref name=pkch/><ref name=use>Uditi Sen. ''[https://books.google.at/books?id=vAtmDwAAQBAJ Citizen Refugee: Forging the Indian Nation after Partition]''. Cambridge University Press, 2018. p. 195</ref> Per Prafulla K. Chakrabarti (1990) Majumdar was "virtually a one-man group. He had enormous influence over the Bettiah refugees".<ref name=pkch/>

In the Action Committee formed for the struggle of the Bettiah refugees there were different viewpoints regarding the tactics to be employed in the protest movement, Majumdar favoured a gradual escalation of protests.<ref name=pkch/> Majumdar had near total control over the refugees at Howrah Maidan.<ref name=pkch/> Prankrishna Chakrabarti attempted to mobilize the refugees at Sealdah station and bring them into the UCRC fold, a move that Majumdar resisted.<ref name=pkch/>

On 17 April 1957, some of the leftist leaders met the West Bengal Chief Minister [[Bidhan Chandra Roy]] in a deputation to demand rehabilitation of the Bettiah deserters.<ref name=ssch/> Roy did not agree to the demands.<ref name=sba/> On 27 April 1957, the leftist leaders held a press conference, announcing the Action Committee for a protest movement in favour of the rehabilitation of the Bettiah deserters.<ref name=ssch/> The Action Committee was chaired by All India Forward Bloc leader {{ill|Hemanta Basu|bn|হেমন্তকুমার বসু}}. Other members included Suresh Chandra Banerjee ([[Praja Socialist Party]]), Jibonlal Chatterjee ([[Workers Party of India|Democratic Vanguard]]) and Apurbalal Majumdar<ref name=ssch>Dr Swati Sengupta Chatterjee. ''[https://www.wbnsou.ac.in/openjournals/Issue/1st-Issue/January2020/swati_final.pdf Insights on Camp Refugees of Bettiah and Bisnupur; an anti-dispersal satyagraha of 1956-57]''. ''NSOU-OPEN JOURNAL'', Vol.3 No.1 (January 2020)</ref> Majumdar represented the Namasudras on the Action Committee.<ref name=pkch/> A ''[[satyagrah]]'' protest movement was initiated at Subodh Mullick Square on 4 May 1957, calling on the national government in Delhi to intervene.<ref name=sba/>

In the midst of the Bettiah ''satyagrah'' protest movement the [[1957 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]] took place. Majumdar was elected to the [[West Bengal Legislative Assembly]], standing as an [[All India Forward Bloc]] candidate.<ref name=tte23/> He contested the seat reserved for Scheduled Castes in the [[Sankrail Assembly constituency|Sankrail constituency]]. Majumdar won the seat, obtaining 33,498 votes (59.79% of the votes cast for Scheduled Caste candidates in the constituency).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20140404201835/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1957/StatRep_WB_1957.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1957 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF WEST BENGAL]''</ref>

The Bettiah Satyagrah protest movement lasted for about a month. Majumdar negotiated a deal with the government, whereby the refugees would return to the Bettiah camp if paid two months arrear cash dole immediately, living conditions at the camp improved and arrangements for economic rehabilitation put in place.<ref name=sba/> The protest movement was formally withdrawn on 6 June 1957, and the refugees began returning to Bettiah camp.<ref name=sba/>

==Legislator==
Majumdar won the [[Panchla Assembly constituency]] in the [[1962 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]], obtaining 17,886 votes (48.33%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20140714193601/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1962/StatRep_WB_1962.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1962 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF WEST BENGAL]''</ref>

Majumdar contested both the [[Uluberia Uttar Assembly constituency|Uluberia North]] and [[Bagdah Assembly constituency|Bagdah]] seats in the [[1967 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]], winning both.<ref name=who/> In Bagdah Majumdar obtained 32,263 votes (71.08%).<ref name=wb67>Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20140404194327/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1967/Statistical%20report%20WB1967.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1967 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF WEST BENGAL]''</ref> In Uluberia North he obtained 19,812 votes (36.35%).<ref name=wb67/> On 8 March 1967, Majumdar resigned from the Uluberia North seat, prompting a bye-election to be held in order to fill the seat.<ref>India. Election Commission. ''[https://books.google.at/books?id=JWoFAAAAMAAJ Bye-election Brochure: House of the People & Legislative Assemblies (1-3-1967 to 31-12-1969), Council of States & Legislative Councils (1-3-1964 to 31-12-1969): An Analysis]''. Manager of Publications, 1971. p. 115</ref> The by-election was won by All India Forward Bloc candidate K. Mondal.<ref name="e">Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20120117074622/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/ByeElection/Bye-ele-results%2052-95.xls Bye-election results 1952-95]''</ref>

Ahead of the [[1969 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]] Majumdar's former political mentor Jogendranath Mondal entered in the fray to contest Majumdar's Bagdah seat.<ref name=dse/><ref name=nbro/> Mondal was starting his campaign early, in September 1968.<ref name=nbro/> Mondal was setting an office of his [[Republican Party of India]] in the area.<ref name=dse/> The situation in the constituency became tense, and reportedly Mondal received death threats from the Majumdar camp.<ref name=dse/> A few days after having reportedly received death threats, Mondal died.<ref name=dse/> It was rumoured that workers of the Majumdar had forced Mondal to drink tea with them at [[Bongaon]], and that he had been poisoned.<ref name=dse/> Majumdar retained the Bagdah seat in the 1969 election, obtaining 23,885 votes (53.06%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20140718182429/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1969/StatReport_WB_69.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1969 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF WEST BENGAL]''</ref> Majumdar was the Deputy Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly during the period of 1969–1970, having been elected by the Legislative Assembly to the post on 6 March 1969.<ref name=who/><ref name=who89/><ref name=akch>CHAUDHURI, AMIYA KUMAR. ''[http://www.jstor.org/stable/41855642< CONTROL, POLITICS AND PERSPECTIVE OF A STATE LEGISLATURE]''. The Indian Journal of Political Science, vol. 54, no. 1, 1993, pp. 86–107</ref>

==Forward Bloc leader==
In 1969 he became the secretary of the West Bengal State Committee of the All India Forward Bloc.<ref name=who/><ref name=who89/> He was also a member of the executive committee of the party.<ref name=who/><ref name=who89/> He was the vice president of the [[All India Youth League]], and the convenor of the AIYL in West Bengal.<ref name=who/> In 1968 Majumdar represented Indian youth at the [[9th World Festival of Youth and Students]], held in the Bulgarian capital [[Sofia, Bulgaria|Sofia]].<ref name=who/>

Majumdar was active in several social and political organizations.<ref name=who82/> He served as the president of various [[trade union]]s, such as the Howrah District Engineering and Metal Workers' Union, the Gobardhan Das P.A. Workers' Union, the Ajanta Steel ( P. ) Ltd. Employees Union, the Indian Supercraft Industries Employees Union, the Sree Annapurna Dying Workers' Union, the Paul's Engineering Workers' Union, the Bharat Mineral Industries Workers' Union, the Associated Synthetic Industries Employees' Union and the Galamal Association in Howrah.<ref name=who/> In 1970 he became the president of the Sara Bangla Agragami Kisan Sabha - the West Bengal unit of the peasants front of the All India Forward Bloc, as well as becoming the chairman of the Central Refugee Council and St. John's Ambulance.<ref name=who/> Majumdar was the Deputy Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly 1969–1970.<ref name=who89/> In 1971 he became the founding secretary of the Netaji Vidyayatan in Howrah, the Indo-Bangladesh Saranarthi and the Mukti Sangram Sahayak Samiti.<ref name=who/> He edited the monthly ''Patheya''.<ref name=who/> In 1971 he became the president of the West Bengal Fishermen Association.<ref name=who/> He took part in the 19th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference held in Malaysia in 1971.<ref name=who/>

==Speaker==
Majumdar again retained the Bagdah seat in the [[1971 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]], obtaining 19,851 votes (48.89%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20140718182727/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1971/StatReport_WB_71.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1971 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF WEST BENGAL]''</ref> On 3 May 1971, Majumdar was elected Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.<ref name=who/><ref name=who82/><ref name=tte23/><ref>''[https://books.google.at/books?id=uv6BAAAAMAAJ The Indian Journal of Political Science, Vol. 54]''. Indian Political Science Association, 1993. p. 102</ref><ref name=akch/> He obtained 140 votes in the election of Speaker, against 132 votes cast for [[Benoy Choudhury]] of the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]].<ref>''[https://books.google.at/books?id=8hgP90l35MgC The Journal of Parliamentary Information, Vol. 17]''. Lok Sabha Secretariat, 1971. p. 133</ref><ref>''[https://books.google.at/books?id=v3biAAAAMAAJ Indian Recorder and Digest, Vol. 17]''. 1971. p. 27</ref>

Ahead of the [[1972 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]] there were differences within the All India Forward Bloc leadership in West Bengal on which alliances the party should seek. The Congress(R)-CPI front Progressive Democratic Alliance invited the party to join their seat-sharing arrangement, but in the end the All India Forward Bloc decided to enter a seat-sharing arrangement with the CPI(M)-led front.<ref name=agh/> In protest, in February 1972 Majumdar resigned from the party and would contest the Bagdah seat in the 1972 election as an [[independent (politician)|independent candidate]].<ref name=who/><ref name=agh>Anjali Ghosh. ''[https://books.google.at/books?id=s3EeAAAAMAAJ Peaceful Transition to Power: A Study of Marxist Political Strategies in West Bengal, 1967-1977]''. Firma KLM, 1981. p. 142</ref><ref name=him>''[https://books.google.at/books?id=m-UhAQAAIAAJ Himmat, Vol. 8]''. R.M. Lala, 1971. p. 9</ref><ref name=jpi72>''[https://books.google.at/books?newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&id=_lQoeNqbvpcC The Journal of Parliamentary Information, Vol. 18]''. Lok Sabha Secretariat, 1972. p. 650</ref> The Congress(R) decided not to field any candidate in Bagdah, thus indirectly supporting Majumdar's candidacy.<ref name=him/> Majumdar was declared winner of the Bagdah seat, having obtained 24,769 votes (63.32%) per official records.<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20140404195120/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1972/StatReport_WB_72.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1972 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF WEST BENGAL]''</ref>

Majumdar was unanimously re-elected as the Speaker of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly after the 1972 election, at its inaugural session on 24 March 1972.<ref name=jpi72/><ref name=tte23/><ref name=akch/><ref>Sir Stanley Reed. ''[https://books.google.at/books?id=qWHVAAAAMAAJ The Times of India Directory and Year Book Including Who's who]''. Bennett, Coleman., 1976. p. 739</ref>

He became the president of the West Bengal Adibasi Seva Sangha in 1972, president of the Manabik Adhikar Sanrakshan Samiti in 1973, president of the governing body of the [[Dinabandhu Mahavidyalay]] in [[Bongaon]] in 1973 and president of the Medico-Psychological Research Society in Calcutta in 1974.<ref name=who/> He served as the president of the West Bengal branch of the [[Commonwealth Parliamentary Association]].<ref name=who>''[https://books.google.at/books?newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&id=I78yAAAAMAAJ Who's who 1972: General Election, March 1972]''. West Bengal Legislative Assembly Secretariat, 1974. pp. 42-44</ref>

Majumdar lost the Bagdah seat in the [[1977 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]], standing as an independent candidate. He finished in second place with 24,966 votes (44.70%), losing the seat to the All India Forward Bloc candidate [[Kamalakshi Biswas]].<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20140404203744/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1977/StatisticalReportWestBengal77.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1977 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF WEST BENGAL]''</ref>

==Congress(I) politician==
Majumdar later joined the Congress Party.<ref name=tte23/><ref>Annapurna Sanyal. ''[https://books.google.at/books?id=f3HaAAAAMAAJ Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes in Indian Politics]''. Minerva Associates (Publications), 1991. p. 75</ref> As of the 1980s, Majumdar was part of the Executive of the [[West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee|West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (I)]], becoming one of its vice presidents in August 1981.<ref>Ayub Mallick, Md. ''[https://books.google.at/books?id=KDRuAAAAMAAJ Congress (I) in Opposition During the First Two Left Front Government in West Bengal]''. Progressive Publishers, 2002. p. 240</ref><ref>''[https://books.google.at/books?newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&id=V31DAAAAYAAJ Data India, Vol 1-52]''. Press Institute of India, 1981. p. 420</ref>

He tried to regain the Bagdah seat in the [[1982 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]] standing as a Congress(I) candidate, again finishing in second place behind Biswas with 40,070 votes (48.53%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20140404201749/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1982/StatisticalReportWestBengal82.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1982 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF WEST BENGAL]''</ref> Majumdar contested the [[Nabadwip Lok Sabha constituency|Nabadwip parliamentary seat]] in the [[1984 Indian general election]], coming in second place with 334,536 votes (48.99%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20140404203315/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/LS_1984/Vol_I_LS_84.pdf Statistical report on general elections, 1984 to the Eighth Lok Sabha]''</ref>

Majumdar made a come-back to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly in the [[1987 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election|1987 election]], winning the Bagdah seat and obtaining 44,517 votes (49.16%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20140404202041/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1987/StatisticalReportWestBengal87.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1987 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF WEST BENGAL]''</ref>

He contested the Nabadwip parliamentary seat again in the [[1991 Indian general election]], finishing in second place with 351,797 votes (39.24%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20140404202526/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/LS_1991/VOL_I_91.pdf Statistical report on general elections, 1984 to the Tenth Lok Sabha]''</ref> Majumdar did not contest the [[1991 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]].<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20140714231953/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1991/StatisticalReport-West%20Bengal91.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1991 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF WEST BENGAL]''</ref>

==Later years==
Majumdar would break ties with the Congress Party due to conflict with other leaders in the party.<ref name=tte23/> He stood as the [[All India Indira Congress (Tiwari)]] candidate in the Uluberia North seat in the [[1996 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]], merely obtaining 865 votes (0.69%).<ref>Election Commission of India. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20140404201733/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1996/StatisticalReport-WB96.pdf STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1996 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF WEST BENGAL]''</ref> Reportedly he later joined the [[Trinamool Congress]] instead.<ref name=tte23/> Soon thereafter he retired from political activities due to health concerns.<ref name=tte23/> Majumdar died on 23 January 2001, at [[SSKM Hospital]] in Calcutta, following a cerebral attack and renal failure.<ref name=tte23>{{cite news|newspaper=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/former-speaker-dies/cid/937154|title=Former Speaker Dies|date=23 January 2001}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Majumdar, Apurbalal}}
[[Category:1925 births]]
[[Category:2001 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Faridpur District]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:Krishnagar Government College alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian lawyers]]
[[Category:Trade unionists from West Bengal]]
[[Category:Scheduled Castes Federation politician]]
[[Category:All India Forward Bloc politicians]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from West Bengal]]
[[Category:All India Indira Congress (Tiwari) politicians]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1957–1962]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1962–1967]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1967–1969]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1969–1971]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1971–1972]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1972–1977]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1987–1991]]
[[Category:Deputy speakers of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:Speakers of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:People from Bangaon subdivision]]
[[Category:Politicians from North 24 Parganas district]]
[[Category:Barishal Zilla School alumni]]

Apurbalal Majumdar - Revision history

FlossiePolglaze at 17:33, 4 September 2025