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Professor '''Jyotibhushan Bhattacharya''' (1 May 1926 – 1998) was an Indian politician and scholar. He served as general secretary of the [[Workers Party of India]].<ref name="Basu2003">{{cite book|author=Asish Krishna Basu|title=Marxism in an Indian State: An Analytical Study of West Bengal Leftism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TabaAAAAMAAJ|year=2003|publisher=Ratna Prakashan|isbn=978-81-85709-73-4|page=78}}</ref> He served as a Minister in both of the [[United Front (1967)|United Front]] governments in [[West Bengal]].

==Youth==
Bhattacharya was born on 1 May 1926.<ref name="Savara1968">{{cite book|author=Sudershan K. Savara|title=International trade and development: UNCTAD II, New Delhi, India, February–March 1968|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pEdYAAAAMAAJ|year=1968|publisher=Commercial Publications Bureau|page=5}}</ref> He studied at [[Calcutta University]] and [[Leeds University]], obtaining [[M.A.]] degrees at both universities.<ref name="(Firm)1969">{{cite book|author=Times of India (Firm)|title=The Times of India Directory and Year Book Including Who's who|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vsYVAQAAIAAJ|year=1969|publisher=Bennett, Coleman & Company|page=871}}</ref><ref name="Calcutta1957">{{cite book|author=University of Calcutta|title=Hundred years of the University of Calcutta supplement|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=159rAAAAIAAJ|year=1957|publisher=University of Calcutta|page=437}}</ref><ref name=c>{{cite book|title=Journal of the Department of English|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zW9DAAAAYAAJ|edition=1|volume=20|year=1984|publisher=University of Calcutta|page=1}}</ref> He took part in the [[Quit India movement]] and was jailed during the struggle for Indian independence.<ref name="(Firm)1969"/><ref name=a/> Bhattacharya came into contact with the Democratic Vanguard leader Jibanlal Chatterjee in 1943.<ref name=w>{{cite book|title=West Bengal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2_TnAAAAMAAJ|volume=12|year=1964|publisher=Director of Information|page=944}}</ref> After Chatterjee founded the WPI, Bhattacharya became a key leader of the party.<ref name=w/>

==WPI leader==
Bhattacharya worked as a lecturer in English at [[Dibrugarh University, Assam]], later shifting to Calcutta University, where he retired as Professor of English.<ref name="(Firm)1969"/><ref name=a>{{cite book|title=India Who's who|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JmlmAAAAMAAJ|year=1978|publisher=INFA Publications.|page=211}}</ref> During the [[Sino-Indian War of 1962]] cadres of the [[Communist Party of India]], the [[Socialist Unity Centre of India]] and WPI were arrested.<ref>Dasgupta, Salien. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20071017160748/http://www.ganashakti.com/archive/left_unity.htm Left Unity'']</ref> Bhattacharya, as a leading party member, was one of the WPI cadres caught in this wave of arrests.<ref>''The Financial Express''. ''[http://www.financialexpress.com/archive/corridors-of-excellence/105090/ Corridors of excellence]''</ref>

==Education Minister==
Bhattacharya won the [[Ballygunge (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Ballygunge constituency seat]] in the [[1967 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]].<ref name="Committee"/> He obtained 21,153 votes (53.74%).<ref name=vidhansabha1967>{{cite web| url = http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1967/Statistical%20report%20WB1967.pdf |title = General Elections, India, 1967, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal | work= Constituency-wise Data, AC No 141|publisher= Election Commission | access-date = 1 December 2016}}</ref> He served as Education Minister in the first [[United Front (1967)|United Front]] cabinet 1967–1968.<ref name="(Firm)1969"/><ref name=a/>

==Information and Public Relations Minister==
Bhattacharya retained the Ballygunge seat in the [[1969 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]].<ref name="Committee"/> He obtained 22,941 votes (55.95%).<ref name=vidhansabha1969>{{cite web| url = http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1969/StatReport_WB_69.pdf|title = General Elections, India, 1969, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal | work= Constituency-wise Data, AC No 141 |publisher= Election Commission |access-date = 1 December 2016}}</ref> He served as Minister of Information and Public Relation in the second United Front cabinet 1969–1970.<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, 418|isbn=9788176260282}}</ref><ref name=a/> On 28 May 1969 a mob attacked Bhattacharya's residence.<ref>{{cite book|title=Indian Recorder and Digest|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jKIvAAAAMAAJ|year=1969|page=37}}</ref>

==Later years==
Bhattarcharya lost his seat in the [[1971 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Socialist India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N_hRAQAAMAAJ|volume=4|date=November 1971|publisher=Indian National Congress. All India Congress Committee.|page=132}}</ref> He finished in second place with 13,943 (38.42%).<ref name=vidhansabha1971>{{cite web| url = http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1971/StatReport_WB_71.pdf |title = General Elections, India, 1971, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal | work= Constituency-wise Data, AC No 141|publisher= Election Commission | access-date = 1 December 2016}}</ref> During the violent environment of the election campaign, he had to leave the constituency and live elsewhere.<ref name="Basu1998">{{cite book|author=Jyoti Basu|title=Documents of the Communist Movement in India: 1971–72|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XpraAAAAMAAJ|year=1998|publisher=National Book Agency|isbn=978-81-7626-019-0|page=437}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite book|title=Religion and Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z-wnAAAAYAAJ|year=1975|publisher=Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society|page=53}}</ref> According to the thesis, a fascist system of governance was emerging in India under [[Indian National Congress|Congress (I)]] rule.<ref>{{cite book|title=Ar Or|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SzgpAQAAIAAJ|year=1978|publisher=Nakl. Ceskoslovenské akademie věd.|page=95}}</ref> Bhattacharya again contested the Ballygunge seat in the [[1972 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election]], finishing in second place with 18,181 votes (35.49%).<ref name=vidhansabha1972>{{cite web| url = http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1972/StatReport_WB_72.pdf |title =General Elections, India, 1972, to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal | work= Constituency-wise Data, AC No 141|publisher= Election Commission | access-date = 1 December 2016}}</ref>

The WPI was split in 1976, with Bhattacharya leading the minority faction.<ref name="Basu1990">{{cite book|author=Sajal Basu|title=Factions, ideology, and politics: coalition politics in Bengal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LTZuAAAAMAAJ|date=1 December 1990|publisher=Minerva Associates (Publications)|isbn=978-81-85195-26-1|page=133}}</ref> Bhattacharya was seen as closer linked to the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)]].<ref name="Basu1990"/> He was expelled from WPI in early 1976, accused of 'anti-party activities' in the party organ ''Ganabiplab''.<ref name="Basu2003"/> After his expulsion he founded the [[Communist Workers Party (India)|Communist Workers Party]].<ref name="Basu2003"/>

As of the 1980s Bhattacharya was the Head of the Department of English at Calcutta University.<ref name=c/><ref name="Sen1981">{{cite book|author=Srichandra Sen|title=Arnold on Shakespeare: Mohini Mohan Bhattacharya memorial lecture, 1978|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CkY8AAAAIAAJ|year=1981|publisher=University of Calcutta}}</ref> Bhattacharya died in 1998.<ref name="GuptaGupta2000">{{cite book|author1=Sen Gupta Sen Gupta|author2=Subodh Chandra Sen Gupta|title=Professor Subodh Chandra Sen Gupta: Scholar Extraordinary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tsVjAAAAMAAJ|year=2000|publisher=Subodh Chandra Sengupta Foundation|page=vii}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhattacharya, Jyoti}}
[[Category:1926 births]]
[[Category:1998 deaths]]
[[Category:Workers Party of India politicians]]
[[Category:Members of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly]]
[[Category:State cabinet ministers of West Bengal]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Leeds]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta faculty]]

Jyotibhushan Bhattacharya - Revision history

->SdkbBot at 02:58, 5 January 2022