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{{Short description|Indian academic, essayist, columnist, and social activist (1934–2022)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sunanda Sanyal
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1934|02|01}}
| birth_place = [[Pabna]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2022|03|22|1934|02|01}}
| death_place = [[Kolkata]], [[West Bengal]], India
| occupation = Academician
| children = Sugata Sanyal
| spouse =
}}

'''Sunanda Sanyal ''' (1 February 1934 – 22 March 2022) was an Indian eminent academic, essayist, social activist and columnist from West Bengal.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url= https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/educationist-sunanda-sanyal-passes-away/articleshow/90384923.cms|title=Educationist Sunanda Sanyal passes away|website=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=2 April 2022}}</ref><ref name=":01">{{cite web|url= http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/teacher-sunanda-sanyal-passes-away-at-88-471983 |title=Teacher Sunanda Sanyal passes away at 88|access-date=1 April 2022}}</ref>

==Life==
Sanyal was born into an illustrious family of Pabna in [[British India]] (now in [[Bangladesh]]) on 1 February 1934.<ref name=":0"/> He completed his schooling at Pabna and came to Kolkata for higher studies and thereafter at Hyderabad and Leeds University.

Sanyal did his graduation and post-graduation in English literature from [[University of Calcutta]]. He got his postgraduate DTE degree from [[English and Foreign Languages University]] at [[Hyderabad]] in the early 1970s.<ref name=":02">{{cite web|url=https://theprint.in/india/eminent-bengal-academician-sunanda-sanyal-dies-at-84/884127/|title= Eminent Bengal academician Sunanda Sanyal dies at 84|website= [[ThePrint]]|access-date=3 April 2022}}</ref>

==Career==
Sanyal started his career as a teacher in English at the [[Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira]] at [[Belur Math]].<ref name=":01"/> He was also a part-time English lecturer in [[University of Calcutta]] and [[University of Burdwan]] at Burdwan.<ref name=":02"/> He wrote articles on different social issues in different English and vernacular newspapers.<ref name=":01"/>

Sanyal opposed the Left Front government’s decision not to teach English in the primary classes. As a member of the state education commission, he gave his note of dissent on the LF government’s English language policy decision for which he was upbraided by the chairman of the commission, [[Ashok Mitra]], the then Minister of the LF government.

Sanyal was also closely involved with the All Bengal Save Education Committee headed by Tarunkanti Naskar. Professor Sanyal had always wanted proper education for poor rural children. Because of his prolonged opposition against the LF government’s education policy, the government was finally forced to bring back English in the primary level.

Sanyal, along with several others, formed Ganamukti Parishad to support the movements launched by [[Mamata Banerjee]] in [[Singur]], [[Nandigram]] and [[Jungle Mahals|Jungle mahal]]. He visited these areas and took part in rallies and meetings to create public opinion.<ref name=":01"/>

==Death==
Sanyal was suffering from old age-related ailments, was admitted to a private hospital in Salt Lake area on 26 February. He was diagnosed with sepsis and multiple-organ failure. He died on 22 March 2022.<ref name=":02"/>

Former advocate general Bimal Chatterjee described Sanyal as a perfect gentleman of high moral values and integrity and a repository of knowledge.<ref name=":0"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanyal, Sunanda}}
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:2022 deaths]]
[[Category:Bengali Hindus]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:Indian academics]]
[[Category:People from Pabna District]]
[[Category:Academics from Kolkata]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of Calcutta]]

Sunanda Sanyal - Revision history

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