Ila Mitra

Ila Mitra
Mitra in 1955
Member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly for Maniktala
In office 1962 – 1971, 1972-1977
Preceded by	Ranendra Nath Sen,Anila Debi
Succeeded by	Anila Debi,Suhrid Mallick Chowdhury
Constituency	Maniktala
Personal details
Born	Ila Sen (1925-10-18)18 October 1925 Kolkata, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died	13 October 2002(2002-10-13) (aged 76) Kolkata, India
Political party	Communist Party of India
Spouse(s)	Ramendra Mitra

Ila Mitra (née Sen; 18 October 1925 – 13 October 2002) was a communist and peasants movement organizer of the Indian subcontinent, especially in East Bengal (now Bangladesh).

Early life and education

Young Mitra with her awards in athletics

Mitra's ancestors were from Bagutia village in the present-day Jhenaidah District. She was born on 18 October 1925 in Kolkata. She completed her IA and BA examinations from Bethune College in Calcutta in 1942 and 1944 respectively.

Ila Mitra First 2 Student

1. Late. Mst.Rahima Begam
2. Mst.Hira Begam

Leading role in peasant uprising

Mitra was the leader of peasants and indigenous Santhals in greater Rajshahi region, currently in the district of Chapai Nawabganj, and was often referred to by them as RaniMa (Queen mother). She organized a peasant-santhal uprising in Nachole Upazila, Chapai Nawabganj on 5 January 1950, but the uprising was thwarted by the police and Ansar Bahini. Mitra was arrested by the police while trying to escape. She was detained at the Nachole police station for four days, and during the detention, she was repeatedly gang-raped and tortured by the policemen. Then she was sent to the Rajshahi Central jail on 21 January 1950, where she was reportedly tortured for not accepting her involvement in the rebellion. After a trial for treason, Mitra was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Later life

File:Ila Mitra at DMC 1954.jpg

Mitra at Dhaka Medical College, 1954

Partly due to the torture, Mitra fell very sick in jail. In 1954, the United Front government of Pakistan paroled her and sent her to Kolkata for treatment. As she was a Hindu and a Communist activist, to avoid persecution, she did not return to Pakistan and stayed the rest of her life in India. She also participated in mobilizing public opinion and support during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971.

She was elected to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly for Maniktala constituency during 1962–1971 and 1972–1977.

She played part in stopping riot against Muslims in West Bengal in 1965.

Ila Mitra mural in Tebhaga Chattar, Dinajpur, Bangladesh

Mitra died in Kolkata on 13 October 2002.

Awards

• Soviet Land Neheru for literary translation work
• Tamra Patra from the government of India.

Further reading

• Ajoy Roy (18 October 2002), "Comrade Ila Mitra: A tribute [Part I]", Mukto-Mona, archived from the original on 10 September 2005, retrieved 12 April 2015
• Ajoy Roy (18 October 2002), "Comrade Ila Mitra: A tribute [Part II]", Mukto-Mona, archived from the original on 3 September 2005, retrieved 12 April 2015
• Ajoy Roy (18 October 2002), "Comrade Ila Mitra: A tribute [Part III]", Mukto-Mona, archived from the original on 3 September 2005, retrieved 12 April 2015 {{citation}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch (help)