- The Tebhaga Movement took place from 1946 to 1947 in Bengal and was a significant peasant agitation initiated by the All India Kisan Sabha, the peasant front of the Communist Party of India. It was a powerful uprising by peasants that occurred on the eve of India’s independence and the partition of Bengal. The term “Tebhaga” referred to the demand that two-thirds of the crops cultivated by burglars and adheres (sharecroppers) should be given to them.
Background:
- The Bargadar system involved individuals, known as bargadars, who cultivated the land of others under agreements such as adhi, barga, or bhag. As part of these agreements, the bargadars were required to deliver a share of the produce to the landowners. The zamindars, who were landowners, paid taxes to the British government based on the quantity and quality of the land they owned. Below the zamindars were the jotedars, to whom the land was distributed through a system called Pattani. Jotedars were directly involved in land and cultivation. They would determine the total yield from the land, which was to be shared equally between the cultivator (bargadar) and the landowner (jotedar). This system, known as Adhiary Pratha or the half-half system, was prevalent in North Bengal. The jotedars would exploit the labour of the cultivators, and the bargadars often faced the threat of losing their land and suffering from starvation if they didn’t comply with the demands of the jotedars. This system led to significant exploitation of the peasants.
- The peasants’ grievances intensified due to worsening economic conditions in the post-war period following a severe famine in Bengal in 1942. The economic hardships, political unrest, and oppressive social conditions faced by the peasants culminated in the Tebhaga Andolan (Movement).
The Tebhaga Movement:
- During the Tebhaga Movement, Communist leaders and Krishak Samity leaders capitalized on the discontent prevailing among poor peasants and landless agricultural laborers.
- The movement originated in an area under the jurisdiction of PS Chirirbandar in the Dinajpur district.
- The assembled farmers refused to give fifty percent of their yield and instead offered thirty-three per cent to the jotedars (landowners).
- A serious clash erupted between the armed men of the jotedars and the determined peasants, resulting in injuries to both parties.
- The police intervened and gained control of the region by arresting the supporters and leaders of the movement.
- Following the Bengal famine in 1943, the Bengal Provincial Kishan Sabha, guided by the Communist Party, called for a mass movement among sharecroppers in September 1946. The objective was to secure Tebhaga, or two-thirds, of the harvested crops for the sharecroppers.
- This demand had been part of the Kishan Sabha’s agenda since the 1930s and had also been recognized as just by the Floud Commission. The Floud Commission was a land revenue commission established by the Government of Bengal in 1938. It had conducted a comprehensive review of the dire state of agriculture in Bengal and highlighted the problems with the prevailing system, which compelled sharecroppers to surrender half of their harvest as rent, in addition to numerous illegal cesses they were forced to pay.
- Communists actively ventured into the countryside to organize peasants and encourage them to take their harvested crops to their threshing floors, thereby making the two-share a reality.
- The slogan “adhi noy, tebhaga chai” (we want two-thirds to share, not half) resonated throughout the movement.
- Peasants began taking their harvested crops to their storage yards and offered only one-third of the crop share to the jotedars.
- These actions led to numerous clashes, resulting in arrests, lathi charges, and firing by the authorities.
- In late 1946, sharecroppers in Bengal asserted their refusal to give half of their crop share to the jotedars, instead opting for only one-third. They also demanded that the crop be stored in their storage facilities rather than those belonging to the jotedars.
- In September 1946, the Bengal Provincial Kishan Sabha issued a call for the mass struggle to implement the Floud Commission’s recommendation of tebhaga.
- Communist cadres, including many urban students, ventured into rural areas to organize the sharecroppers, who constituted a significant and growing portion of the rural population.
- The movement received a boost in January 1947 when the Muslim League Ministry led by Suhrawarddi published the Bengal Bargadars Temporary Legislation Bill in the Calcutta Gazette. However, the government’s attempts to enact the Barga Bill into law were hindered by other political developments.
- The movement continued until 1950 when the Bargadari Act was enacted, recognizing the sharecropper’s right to two-thirds of the product when providing inputs. However, the implementation of the Bargadari Act was not effectively carried out, and large tracts of land beyond the prescribed land ceiling remained with wealthy landlords.
- In 1967, West Bengal witnessed a peasant uprising against the non-implementation of land reform legislation. Subsequently, significant land reforms took place in West Bengal from 1977 onwards under the Left Front government, involving the acquisition and distribution of land over the land ceiling among peasants.
- “Operation Barga” was launched to secure tenancy rights for the peasants.
Overall, the Tebhaga movement showcased the growing political consciousness among poor peasants and tribal sharecroppers. It is considered a pivotal moment in the history of agrarian movements in India and is regarded as one of the greatest peasant movements in the country’s history.
FAQs
1. Who led the Tebhaga Movement?
Ans. The Tebhaga Movement was primarily led by the Communist Party of India (CPI) and its leaders, including Hare Krishna Konar, Kalyan Mitra, and Benoy Choudhury. It was also supported by other leftist organizations and leaders.
2. When did the Tebhaga Movement start?
The Tebhaga Movement began in 1946 in the Bengal region of India, specifically in the districts of North Bengal and parts of East Bengal (now Bangladesh). It was a significant peasant movement that sought to address the issues of land rights and sharecropper exploitation.
3. What was the Tebhaga Peasant Movement about?
The Tebhaga Peasant Movement was a protest movement by sharecroppers (tenants) in Bengal who were demanding a two-thirds share of the crop produced from the land they cultivated, as opposed to the traditional half-share (known as the “barga system”). The movement aimed to improve the economic conditions of sharecroppers and challenge the dominance of landlords and jotedars (big landowners).
4. Can you provide more information about the Tebhaga Movement?
The Tebhaga Movement was a significant agrarian movement in post-independence India. It emerged as a response to the oppressive sharecropping system prevalent in Bengal, where sharecroppers received only half of the produce, leaving them in poverty. The movement gained momentum in the late 1940s, with peasants demanding a two-thirds share of the crop.
The movement involved various forms of protests, including strikes, demonstrations, and non-cooperation with landlords and authorities. It gained considerable support from rural communities and left-leaning political groups. The government eventually had to intervene, leading to the Tebhaga Agreement of 1947, which granted some concessions to sharecroppers but fell short of their demands.
5. What is the “Right of Movement” in the context of the Tebhaga Movement?
The term “Right of Movement” in the context of the Tebhaga Movement refers to the demand of sharecroppers to freely choose the land they cultivated. Traditionally, sharecroppers were bound to specific plots of land and were not allowed to move to other areas for cultivation. The movement aimed to secure the right for sharecroppers to choose the land they worked on, along with fairer terms of crop-sharing.
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