Sudhanwa Debbarma (also spelt Sudhanya Debbarma) (26 February 1918 – 1999) was an Indian Kokborok writer, Political leader and member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He was a former Speaker of the Tripura Legislative Assembly. He was a veteran leader of the Ganamukti Parishad. He was a member of Tripura Legislative Assembly from Takarjala (Vidhan Sabha constituency) between 1977 and 1988.
Early life Debbarma was born in a lower-middle-class family in Sutarmura village under Bishalgarh Sub-division, West Tripura district (present day Sepahijala district) in Tripura. He spent his primary school days in his village, after which he moved to Agartala for higher education. He completed his higher secondary education at Umakanta Academy. After higher secondary he went to Bangladesh for graduate studies.
Political career
Debbarma and other activists started revolution against the king of Tripura to spread education among the Tiprasa population. They established Tripura Janasiksha Samiti in 1945, with Debbarma as the founding president of the organization. The king issued an arrest warrant against the Janashiksha Samiti eaders and he was arrested and severely beaten up while in jail. This led to Janashiksha Samiti Sudhanwa and other leaders demanding the right to life and livelihood of the Tripuri people. On 15 August 1948, Sudhanwa, Dasarath Deb, Hemanta Debbarma, Bidya Debbarma and other leaders formed the Ganamukti Parishad, in opposition to the torture of bureaucrats and police of Tripura. He was inspired by communist ideology and became a member of the Communist Party of India. When the Communist Party was split in 1964, he took the side of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and was elected to the Tripura state committee of the CPI(M). In 1977, Tripura Legislative Assembly election he was elected for the first time on a CPI(M) ticket from Takarjala (Vidhan Sabha constituency).
Revolution Tripura Janasiksha Samiti
On 27 December 1945 AD (11th Pousa of 1352 BE) the Tripura Janasiksha Samiti came into being at Durgachoudhury Para under the Jirania Block. This organisation was established by several enlightened Tripuri youth, including Dasarath Deb, Sudhanwa Debbarma, Hemanta Debbarma and others with the purpose of setting up schools and spreading education among the children of the down-trodden Tripuris in the state of Tripura. The movement of the Janasiksha Samiti rapidly transformed into a mass movement.
In that time, the Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman's education minister Brown Sahib was compelled to open nearly three hundred schools in rural areas. The Samiti established 488 primary schools in different remote areas of the state with its active co-operation. Subsequently, in 1950–51, most of these schools were recognized by the State Government.
List of works Sudhanwa wrote many novels, poems and short stories. The first Kokborok magazine "Kwtal Kothoma" was published by him in 1954 AD.
Novels Kokborok title English title Publisher Year Description ReferenceChethuang1954A kokborok novelHachuk Khurio (part-1)In the lap of HillsKokborok Sahitya Sabha1987The first modern kokborok novelHachuk Khurio (part-2)In the lap of Hills1994
Poems Kokborok title English title Publisher YearHimdi do1983Kha kwrak1983
Drama Year Title Publisher Description Reference1948Egiye CholoThe first Kokborok DramaPorikhit Bidruho
See also Dasarath Deb Bidya Debbarma Ganamukti Parishad Sunil Debbarma
References
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