WilheminaJanzen at 15:30, 14 February 2026

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{{Short description|Indian freedom fighter and politician (1911–1999)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Jagannath Majumdar
| image = Jagannath Majumdar.jpg
| office = [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|Member]] of the [[West Bengal Legislative Assembly]]
| constituency = [[Nakashipara Assembly constituency|Nakashipara]]
| predecessor = New Constituency
| successor = Mahananda Haldar
| 1namedata = [[Bidhan Chandra Roy]]
| 1blankname = [[List of chief ministers of West Bengal|Chief Minister]]
| governor = [[Harendra Coomar Mookerjee]]
| term_start = 1951
| term_end = 1957
| office1 =
| constituency1 = [[Krishnanagar Uttar Assembly constituency|Krishnanagar]]
| predecessor1 = Bijoy Lal Chattopadhyay
| successor1 = Kashi Kanta Maitra
| 1namedata1 = [[Bidhan Chandra Roy]]
| 1blankname1 = [[List of chief ministers of West Bengal|Chief Minister]]
| governor1 = [[Padmaja Naidu]]
| term_start1 = 1957
| term_end1 = 1962
| office2 =
| constituency2 = [[Chapra, West Bengal Assembly constituency|Chapra]]
| predecessor2 = Mohananda Haldar
| successor2 = Salil Behari Hundle
| 1namedata2 = [[Ajoy Mukherjee]]
| 1blankname2 = [[List of chief ministers of West Bengal|Chief Minister]]
| 2namedata2 = [[Jyoti Basu]]
| 2blankname2 = [[List of deputy chief ministers of West Bengal|Deputy Chief Minister]]
| governor2 = [[Dharma Vira]]
| term_start2 = 1967
| term_end2 = 1969
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1911|10|9|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Krishnanagar, Nadia|Krishnanagar]], [[Nadia]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1999|06|6|1911|10|9|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Kolkata]], [[India]]
| profession = {{hlist|Freedom fighter|politician|lawyer}}
| party = {{ubl|[[Indian National Congress]]|[[Bangla Congress]]}}
| alma_mater = [[Calcutta University]]
}}

'''Jagannath Majumdar''' (9 October 1911 – 6 June 1999) was a Bengali revolutionary, freedom fighter in [[British India]] and a political leader after Indian Independence from [[Nadia district|Nadia]], [[West Bengal]]. He was a part of the [[Indian National Congress]] and was a 3 term member of the [[West Bengal Legislative Assembly]].

==Early life==

Majumdar was born in 1911 in [[Jadubayra|Yadu-Boira]] village of Kushtia district in present-day East Bengal. His mother, Shailabala Devi, was one of the earliest organizers of Mahila Samitis in Nadia.<ref>{{Cite web| title=Women’s organizations in pre-independence India | url=https://www.allresearchjournal.com/archives/2019/vol5issue1/PartC/4-12-91-194.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191122181020/http://www.allresearchjournal.com/archives/2019/vol5issue1/PartC/4-12-91-194.pdf | archive-date=2019-11-22}}</ref> His entire family, including his brothers and sister; Gopinath Majumdar, Kashinath Majumdar and Supreeti Sanyal (née Majumdar) actively participated in the freedom struggle.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://amritmahotsav.nic.in/district-reopsitory-detail.htm?21991 | title=Gopinath Majumder | work=Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Ministry of Culture, Government of India | last1=Mahotsav | first1=Amrit }}</ref>

Jagannath's journey in the independence movement began during his school days at [[Krishnagar Collegiate School]], when he met and was influenced by revolutionaries like [[Anantahari Mitra]] and literary figures like Bijoy Lal Chattopadhyay. Anantahari Mitra affectionately referred to him as 'damal kishore', meaning 'indomitable youth'.<ref name="auto">{{cite web | url=https://amritmahotsav.nic.in/district-reopsitory-detail.htm?22925 | title=Jagannath Majumdar | work=Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Ministry of Culture, Government of India | last1=Mahotsav | first1=Amrit }}</ref>

==Indian Independence Movement==

Majumdar was a member of [[Jugantar]] and also became actively associated with the [[West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee|Bengal Provincial Congress]] under the leadership of Tarakdas Bandopadhyay since 1926.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Tarakdas Bandopadhyay and his contribution to the freedom struggle {{!}} INDIAN CULTURE | url=https://indianculture.gov.in/node/2832049 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230717112634/https://indianculture.gov.in/node/2832049 | access-date=2025-12-28 | archive-date=2023-07-17}}</ref> In 1928, he played a vital role as an organizer at the Basirhat conference of the Bengal Provincial Congress.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.98273/2015.98273.Bengal-Provincial-Conference-1928_djvu.txt | title=Bengal Provincial Conference 1928 | date=1979 }}</ref> By 1930, Jagannath was a well-known freedom fighter and student leader, planning his operations from Sadhana Library, founded by Ananta Hari Mitra and later named by [[Chittaranjan Das]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://krishnanagarmunicipality.com/history | title=Krishnagar Municipality }}</ref> Later that year, Jagannath was arrested for his active participation in the [[Civil Disobedience Movement]] and spent 3 years in jail without trial. He was imprisoned at the [[Buxa Fort]], near the Bhutan-Alipurduar border. After his release, he faced home internment in various locations within Bengal. With several intermittent prison terms, he completed his Bachelor of Laws from [[Calcutta University]] in 1936 and received his degree while in jail in 1938.

Majumdar actively mobilized people in Bengal during the [[Quit India Movement]] in 1942. He joined forces with [[Haripada Chattopadhyay]] to disrupt British administration by damaging infrastructure and government buildings. After eight months on the run, he was arrested in Kolkata's Ballygunge area.<ref name="auto"/>

Majumdar faced imprisonment as an undertrial in various jails, including [[Alipore Jail|Alipore Central Jail]], Krishnanagar Jail and finally [[Tihar Jail|Delhi Central Jail]], where he underwent several mock trials that failed to implicate him. He was released in September 1945, after having spent a total of 12 years in British custody.<ref name="auto"/>

==Post Independence==

After 1947, Majumdar became the President of Nadia District Congress and served as a member of the [[All India Congress Committee]] and the [[West Bengal Legislative Assembly]].

In the [[1952 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election|1952 elections]] he won from [[Nakashipara Assembly constituency|Nakashipara]] and was a part of the [[Bidhan Chandra Roy]] government.<ref>https://eci.gov.in/files/file/3181-west-bengal-general-legislative-election-1951/{{Dead link | date=December 2025 | fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> He was a member of the 2nd West Bengal Legislative Assembly winning from [[Krishnanagar Uttar Assembly constituency|Krishnanagar]] in 1957.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://eci.gov.in/files/file/3182-west-bengal-1957/ | title=West Bengal 1957 }}</ref> In the [[1962 elections|1962 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]] he lost the Krishnanagar constituency to [[Praja Socialist Party]] candidate Kashi Kanta Maitra.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://eci.gov.in/files/file/3183-west-bengal-1962/ | title=West Bengal 1962 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.anandabazar.com/west-bengal/former-west-bengal-minister-lawyer-kashi-kanta-maitra-passed-away-1.1196137|title=বর্ণময় জীবনে দাঁড়ি, প্রয়াত কাশীকান্ত মৈত্র|first=নিজস্ব|last=সংবাদদাতা|website=www.anandabazar.com|language=bn}}</ref>

==Formation of Bangla Congress==

In 1966 the left leaning wing of the [[West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee|West Bengal Pradesh Congress]], represented by [[Ajoy Mukherjee]], [[Pranab Mukherjee]], [[Siddhartha Shankar Ray]], [[A. B. A. Ghani Khan Choudhury]], [[Abha Maiti]] revolted against the leadership of the old conservative elites of "the syndicate" like [[Prafulla Chandra Sen]] and [[Atulya Ghosh]] owing to the policies of the Prafulla Sen government during the Food Movement. As a result, the [[Bangla Congress]] was formed through a split in the Indian National Congress in West Bengal in May, 1966.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/defeating-congress-in-1967-west-bengal-polls-pranab-mukherjee-had-an-idea-it-worked-880567.html|title=Defeating Congress in 1967 West Bengal polls: Pranab Mukherjee had an idea, it worked!|date=August 31, 2020|website=Deccan Herald}}</ref> Among a few other places, the Party had a strong base in [[Nadia district|Nadia]] and [[Murshidabad]]. Going into the 1967 elections, there were two fronts opposing the Indian National Congress, the [[United Left Front (1967)|United Left Front]] led by the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]] and the [[People's United Left Front]] comprising Bangla Congress, [[Communist Party of India]] and the [[All India Forward Bloc]].

Majumdar fought the 1967 elections as a Bangla Congress candidate for the [[People's United Left Front]] and won from [[Chapra, West Bengal Assembly constituency|Chapra]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://eci.gov.in/files/file/3184-west-bengal-1967/ | title=West Bengal 1967 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019134319/https://eci.gov.in/files/file/3184-west-bengal-1967/ | archive-date=2021-10-19}}</ref> Shortly after the elections, the 2 fronts came together to form the [[United Front (West Bengal)|United Front]] and dislodge the Indian National Congress for the first time in West Bengal since independence. The United Front formed government on an 18-Point Programme with Ajoy Mukherjee as the Chief Minister and [[Jyoti Basu]] as the Deputy Chief Minister in March 1967.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/01/18/stories/2010011852100300.htm|title=The Hindu Business Line : A unique political figure|date=March 30, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100330122651/http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/01/18/stories/2010011852100300.htm |archive-date=2010-03-30 }}</ref>

==Legacy==

In 1972, marking the 25th year of Indian Independence, Majumdar was awarded the Tamra Patra for outstanding contribution to the freedom movement by Prime Minister [[Indira Gandhi]].<ref>{{Cite web| title=Report 1972-73 | url=https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/REPORT_1972_73_12022021.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129213712/https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/REPORT_1972_73_12022021.pdf | archive-date=2022-01-29}}</ref> He is the father of Jay Prakash Majumdar, State Vice President of [[Trinamool Congress|All India Trinamool Congress]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://myneta.info/westbengal2016/candidate.php?candidate_id=2196|title=Jay Prakash Majumdar(Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)):Constituency- KARIMPUR : BYE ELECTION ON 25-11-2019(NADIA) - Affidavit Information of Candidate|website=myneta.info}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/jay-prakash-majumdar-joins-tmc-made-partys-v-p-470640|title=Jay Prakash Majumdar joins TMC, made party's V-P|first=Team|last=MP|date=March 9, 2022|website=www.millenniumpost.in}}</ref>

== References ==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from West Bengal]]
[[Category:1911 births]]
[[Category:1998 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Bengal]]
[[Category:Politicians from Nadia district]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1951–1957]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1957–1962]]
[[Category:West Bengal MLAs 1967–1969]]
[[Category:People from Jadubayra]]
[[Category:Politicians from Kushtia District]]
[[Category:Activists from Kushtia District]]
[[Category:Lawyers from Kushtia District]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]

Jagannath Majumdar - Revision history

WilheminaJanzen at 15:30, 14 February 2026