Remembering the Martyrs of the Tebhaga Movement in Khapur

Solemn & Respectful

Kamal Kumar Biswas.TOD. Balurghat

On Friday, tributes were paid to the martyrs of the historic Tebhaga Movement at Khapur in Balurghat, marking the Shahid Divas observed on February 20. The commemoration honored 22 peasants who were killed in police firing in 1947 during one of the most significant agrarian struggles in undivided Bengal.

Members of the South Dinajpur district unit of the All India Trinamool Congress farmers’ wing organized a small memorial gathering in front of the martyrs’ monument at Khapur. During the event, floral tributes were offered in memory of those who lost their lives, and condolences were expressed to the families of the martyrs.

The Tebhaga Movement, a major peasant uprising in Bengal, emerged from demands over the rights of sharecroppers to the crops they cultivated. At the time, a large portion of harvested produce was claimed by landlords, prompting peasants to launch a movement demanding a fairer system. Their central demand was that cultivators should retain two-thirds of the harvested paddy while landlords would receive one-third.

However, landlords rejected these demands and allegedly subjected peasants to repression. Historical accounts note that colonial authorities also intervened, fearing that the agrarian protests could merge with the broader independence movement. Among the prominent leaders of the struggle was local peasant leader Nil Madhab Sarkar, whose home was in Khapur.

On February 20, 1947, police forces carried out an operation at Sarkar’s residence in an attempt to suppress the movement. When villagers tried to resist, police opened fire. In the firing, Nil Madhab Sarkar, Jashoda Rani Sarkar, Kaushalya Kamrani, Kol Kamrani, Bhadu Barman, Uday Singh Roy and several others were killed. A total of 22 people were martyred in the incident.

A memorial has since been erected at Khapur to honor those who died during the uprising. On the occasion, local leaders including district Trinamool Khetmajdur president Shahensha Molla, district Trinamool Congress secretary and former chairman of the Balurghat Municipality Ashok Mitra, and South Dinajpur Mahila Trinamool Congress president Snehalata Hembram were present at the tribute ceremony.

The observance served as a reminder of the legacy of the Tebhaga Movement and the sacrifices made by peasants in their struggle for equitable rights over agricultural produce.