Bot at 05:38, 26 January 2022

2022-01-26T05:38:27Z

New page

{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2021}}
'''Bhakti Bhushan Mandal''' (1920 – 30 August 2004)<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Mandal, Bhakti Bhushan |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts | volume =1 |year=2014 |publisher=The Indian Ministry of External Affairs}}</ref> was an Indian politician belonging to the [[All India Forward Bloc]].<ref>''The Hindu''. ''[http://www.thehindu.com/2000/07/20/stories/0220000l.htm Minister assaulted in Midnapore]{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}''</ref> He represented the [[Dubrajpur (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Dubrajpur seat]] in the [[West Bengal Legislative Assembly]] 1962–1967, 1969–1971 and 1977–2001.<ref name=archive>{{cite web | url = http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/statisticalreports/electionstatistics.asp | title = Statistical Reports of Assembly Elections | accessdate = 2010-10-01 | work = General Election Results and Statistics | publisher = Election Commission of India | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20101005110118/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/ElectionStatistics.asp | archivedate = 2010-10-05 }}</ref><ref name="Committee">{{cite book|author=Communist Party of India (Marxist). West Bengal State Committee|title=Election results of West Bengal: statistics & analysis, 1952–1991|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CNeNAAAAMAAJ|publisher=The Committee|pages=379, 412}}</ref>

Mandal held the post of Minister for Judicial and Legislative in the second [[United Front (1967)|United Front]] cabinet formed in West Bengal in 1969.<ref name="Committee"/>

In the 1970s he took part in founding the Defense Committee, which sought to help [[Naxalite]]s arrested in staged encounters.<ref name="Kannabiran2004">{{cite book|author=K. G. Kannabiran|title=The Wages of Impunity: Power, Justice, and Human Rights|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V1eD4bGpqvMC&pg=PA328|year=2004|publisher=Orient Blackswan|isbn=978-81-250-2638-9|page=328}}</ref>

Mandal served as Minister for Fisheries and Co-operatives in the first [[Left Front (West Bengal)|Left Front]] cabinet.<ref name=sino/><ref name=in>''India Today''. ''[http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/left-front-leaders-in-west-bengal-express-disappointment-over-gap-between-pledges-and-achievement/1/409602.html Pressure all round]''</ref> He was a member of the All India Forward Bloc West Bengal State Committee.<ref name=sino>''India Today''. ''[http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/avowed-sinophile-and-west-bengal-cabinet-member-bhakti-bhusan-mandal-reprimanded/1/409782.html West Bengal: Sinophilia]''</ref> At the time he was known as a civil rights campaigner and well connected with the [[Ananda Marg]] movement.<ref name=in/> In 1978, he went on a 24-day tour of [[China]] and became the president of the India-China Friendship Association.<ref name=sino/>

In the early 1980s he led a [[Mandal Commission|Mandal Action Commission]], which called for recognition as [[Other Backward Castes]] for 177 communities in West Bengal (encompassing around 50 percent of the population of the state).<ref name="Chakraborty2014">{{cite book|author=Mridula Nath Chakraborty|title=Being Bengali: At Home and in the World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nkcsAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT67|date=26 March 2014|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-317-81889-2|page=67}}</ref> Mandal met with exiled Naga leader [[Phizo]] in [[London]] and declared himself as intermediary between Phizo and the Delhi government.<ref name=sino/>

Mandal was publicly reprimanded by the Left Front chairman [[Promode Dasgupta]] for failure to maintain fish production levels.<ref name=sino/> After the [[1982 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]] [[Kiranmoy Nanda]] of the [[West Bengal Socialist Party]] was named as new Minister for Fisheries.<ref>{{cite book|title=Asian Recorder|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KdRtAAAAMAAJ|volume=28|year=1982|publisher=K. K. Thomas at Recorder Press|page=lxiii}}</ref>

Mandal would again be named as Minister for Co-operatives.<ref name="Venkatachalam1998">{{cite book|author=D. Venkatachalam|title=Bureaucracy: An Evaluation and a Scheme of Account Ability|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jy8wxgRqBbkC&pg=PA71|date=1 January 1998|publisher=APH Publishing|isbn=978-81-7024-927-6|page=71}}</ref><ref>''Business Standard''. ''[http://www.business-standard.com/article/specials/co-op-movement-197082701095_1.html Co-Op Movement]''</ref> Due to ill health, he was absent for months from his office.<ref>''The Telegraph''. ''[http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090619/jsp/nation/story_11132155.jsp Wanted: a makeover for Bengal ministry]''</ref> At the time of the swearing in of the [[Buddhadev Bhattacharya]] government in November 2000, Mandal was hospitalized at [[SSKM Hospital]] in [[Calcutta]] for malaria<ref>''The Telegraph''. ''[http://www.telegraphindia.com/1001106/the_east.htm OATH OF OFFICE & GRAND FAREWELL]''</ref> Mandal was not nominated for re-election in the [[2001 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]], due to health reasons.<ref>''The Tribune''. ''[http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010226/nation.htm 93 new faces on LF list]''</ref><ref>''The Telegraph''. ''[http://www.telegraphindia.com/1010226/index.htm CPM PICKS NEW FACES & SUBHAS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122072209/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1010226/index.htm |date=2016-11-22 }}''</ref><ref>''The Hindu''. ''[http://www.thehindu.com/2001/03/04/stories/1404226b.htm Another Minister dropped from candidates list]{{dead link|date=April 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}''</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mandal, Bhakti Bhushan}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:All India Forward Bloc politicians]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1962–1967]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1969–1971]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1977–1982]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1982–1987]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1987–1991]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1991–1996]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1996–2001]]
[[Category:State cabinet ministers of West Bengal]]

Bhakti Bhushan Mandal - Revision history

Bot at 05:38, 26 January 2022