Remembering Comrade Nurul Huda (1930-2015)

Dr. Syed Ahmed *

Remembering Comrade Nurul Huda (1930-2015)

Nurul Huda, affectionately called Comrade Huda or Nurul Da, was an eminent communist leader of India. He was also one of the most popular political figures of Northeast India. He has the distinction of being the first Meitei Pangal Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha).

Nurul Huda was born on 13th March, 1930 at Dalugram village in Silchar, Cachar District of Assam. He was the third child of Muhammad Ali of Makakmayum Angouba Sagei and Ayesha. His father was a Magistrate in the British Government.

Nurul Huda acquired his early education in Guwahati, Sylhet and Silchar. He cleared Matriculation Exam in first division from Silchar Government High School in 1946. He then went to Calcutta for higher education. He got admitted to St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta. He completed Intermediate in Science stream in first division in 1948.

Thereafter, he joined the College of Engineering and Technology (CET), Jadavpur, and graduated in Mechanical Engineering in 1953. It was during this period that he started involving into student activism. He joined All India Students’ Federation (AISF) in August 1948.

He came in contact with the Communist leaders. He soon got involved in the Communist movement. He became a member of the Communist Party of India (CPI) in October 1949. Around the time, the party was banned.

Nurul Huda, along Sachin Sen, Prasanta Sur, Sibu Sen and Sukumar Roy, formed the CPI unit in 1949 in Jadavpur Mistripara Lane. In August 1949, he was arrested for protest against Congress policies in the wake of Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru’s visit to Calcutta. He was incarcerated at Presidency Jail for almost a month.

In January 1950, he was again arrested for criticizing Congress policies during a visit of Bengal’s Chief Minister, Dr. B.C. Roy to Jadavpur. He was imprisoned in Alipur Central Jail for almost two months, further sentenced to five months for the same case. He was confined in the same jail in 1951. Due to these detentions, Nurul Huda lost one academic year.

In 1952-53, Nurul Huda was elected as the Secretary of the Students’ Union as an All India Students’ Federation (AISF) candidate. He completed BME degree for Mechanical Engineering in 1953. In 1954, he became one of the Joint Secretaries of Bengal Provincial Students’ Federation (BPSF). That same year, he was arrested for participating in a teachers’ movement. He was confined at the Dumdum Central Jail for around a month.

Nurul Huda completed a year’s training in the Machinery Manufactures Company, in Kidderpore, Calcutta in 1954, and subsequently joined Stewarts and Lloyds Company and worked at Calcutta as well as Jamshedpur in 1955. In 1956, he worked at Kaiser Engineers, an American firm, which was given contract for enhancing the production of Tata Iron and Steel Company, Jamshedpur.

Here, Nurul Huda met her life partner, Chhabi Ghosh. He married her in September 1962. Chabbi was the daughter of Manindra Kumar Ghosh, a Gandhian, and a renowned Trade Union leader, who later became a Member of Parliament of Congress from Jamshedpur.

From 1960 to 1966, Nurul Huda worked in many Engineering firms of Calcutta and its surroundings. By the time, he also studied law by attending the evening classes at Surendranath Law College, Calcutta. He got LLB degree in 1966.

In 1964, Nurul Huda was with CPI (M). As directed by the party, in August 1966, he resigned from his job and moved to Silchar, in Assam to work for the party. In September 1966, he joined the Silchar District Bar Association.

However, he was actively involved in establishing Kisan Sabha and his political party in Cachar District. Here, he worked with other party comrades, which include Rukmini Acharya, Gopen Roy, Achintya Bhattacharyya, Biresh Misra, Dwijen Sen Gupta and Digen Das Gupta.

In 1967, Nurul Huda contested the Assembly elections for the first time as an independent candidate supported by CPI (M) from Lakhipur Constituency. But he lost the election. In 1972, he again contested the Assembly elections from Lakhipur as a CPI (M) candidate. This time too, he lost to the Congress candidate. In 1973, the sitting MP from Silchar passed away. By-election was held.

Nurul Huda was chosen as the party’s candidate. He fought against senior Congress leader, Mahitosh Purkayastha, who was a former Minister and MP of Rajya Sabha. Nurul Huda won the election with a huge margin. It was a great victory for the Left party in Barak valley as well as for Assam. He took oath as the first CPI (M) MP from Assam on March 8, 1974.

At the centre, the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency, which threatened the democratic foundations of the nation. Numerous political leaders and activists were imprisoned, including hundreds of CPI (M) leaders and MPs, from 1975 to 1977.

Nurul Huda was also detained under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA). He and other leaders were released on January 15, 1977. In the immediate elections, held after the withdrawal of Emergency, in March 1977, Nurul Huda contested the Lok Sabha election, but he lost it.

Next year, Nurul Huda contested the Assembly election. He was elected from the Silchar Constituency after defeating Kabindra Purkayastha, the Janata Party candidate. It was a historic election for the party as 11 CPI (M) candidates were elected to the Assam State Assembly. During the term (1978-1983), the party forced the ruling Ministry to execute several pro-worker and pro-farmer policies in the State.

From 1979 onwards, Assam saw violent agitation by separatist forces and the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU). Anti-foreigners agitation led to the killing of more than 50 members of the CPI (M). In February 1983, the Nellie Riot took place in Naogaon District.

In this program, over two thousand poor and extremely backward minority Muslims were massacred in a single day. CPI (M) worked to bring peace and harmony in the State. Nurul Huda played a crucial role in the peace mission and in strengthening the party.

Nurul Huda again contested the State Assembly and Parliamentary elections when Assam was witnessing to extreme violence orchestrated by separatist forces. He lost both the elections. However, Nurul Huda was elected to the CPI (M) Assam State Committee in 1970, thereafter, to the State Secretariat of the party in 1978, and also elected as the Secretary of Cachar District Committee of the party in 1985.

He continued to hold the post till 1990. At the 12th CPI (M) Congress, held in December 1985, Nurul Huda was inducted to the Central Committee of the party till the 20th Congress held April 2012.

Nurul Huda joined the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) in 1967, and was elected to the Assam Provincial Kisan Sabha Committee and Central Kisan Committee of the sabha. He held the post of Finance Secretary from 2006 till 2013. He also assisted in guiding the CPI (M) and the Kisan movement in several States, including Madhya Pradesh, Manipur and Chattisgarh.

As a Member of the Central Committee of CPI (M), Nurul Huda was in-charge of Manipur from 1985 till 2012. Therefore, he visited Manipur many times. He attended the two-day 15th State Conference of CPI (M) held on 27th and 28th November 2007 at SAI Youth Centre, Khuman Lampak, at Imphal.

Speaking at the Conference, he denounced the law and order situation in the State and alleged the State and Central security forces for having failed in their duty of providing protection to the lives and livelihoods of the people. He attacked the then SPF Government for keeping the economy and communication system of the State in a deplorable state. He also mentioned the appalling roadways and elusive railway service in the State.

In September 2013, Nurul Huda moved to Calcutta and worked for Paschim Bangla Krishak Sabha. He also served as Treasurer of All India Fishers and Fisheries Workers’ Federation, and later as its Vice- President. He continued to hold the post till his death. Nurul Huda passed away on 17th December 2015 at a hospital in Calcutta due to a massive heart attack. He was 86 then.

The Communist Party leaders and cadres paid their last respect to Nurul Huda at Peace Heaven in Kolkatta. He was buried at the Gobordanga burial ground in the city. A silent rally was taken out by the CPI (M) leaders as a mark respect to their comrade, followed by a condolence meeting at Gandhi Bhavan.

Nurul Huda was a highly educated and well-read politician, known for his simplicity, punctuality and commitment to the cause of the workers and peasants. He was actively involved in numerous protests against the ruling regime in the Centre and States.

He was a philanthropist too. He is said to have donated more than 75 bighas of land that he inherited from his father to the sharecroppers who were cultivating the land. He was an easily accessible politician. He was loved by workers, peasants and the downtrodden dearly.

Reference:

All India Kishan Sabha Facebook page (18/12/2020);
Nurul Huda (CPI (M) Politician, Wikipaedia;
Assam Tribune (18/12/2015),
e-pao.net (30/11/2007)