COM.KANU SANYAL:BEACON LIGHT OF COMMUNIST MOVEMENT

: Portrait of a revolutionary:

(KANU SANYAL: beacon light of communist movement) by

SUBODH MITRA

The death of Kanu Sanyal ( Krishna Kumar Sanyal ) has not only left a great void in the hearts of his comrades but has come as a heavy loss to the entire revolutionary and democratic movement of our country. Kanu Sanyal’s life was dedicated entirely to the Indian revolution; his struggle is an important contribution to the growth and advancement of Marxism Leninism in India as a force to disintegrate the crumbling strong hold of imperialist feudal reaction. Hence, Kanu Sanyal mourned not only by the comrades of his organization CPI(ML) of which he was general secretary, but by all communist revolutionaries of our country and by the entire nation, who honored him for his long and faithful struggles.

                K.S (Kanu Sanyal) the helmsman of historic Naxal Bari workers-peasant uprising in may 1967 passed away on March 23^rd 2010 in Hatighisha village situated 32 kilometers away from Siliguri town of Darjeeling district. It is that very village where K.S lived for the last 30 years since his release from the jail in may 1979. Through out his life K.S was an inspiration to all those who from the earliest days, revolted against the revisionist and neo revisionist cancer that has sapped the vitality of the revolutionary movement. The struggle to build a strong and united communist party based on the correct line guided by the Marxism- Leninism- Mao Tse Tung thought always found him in the fore front, and till the day he died he was deeply involved in continuing a force to achieve unity among communist revolutionaries. His whole life’s struggle his grasp of theory and his revolutionary practice, his tireless effort for unity- all these made him a pivotal figure in the movement and won him a regarded which transcended divisions between revolutionary groups. This made him one of the prime movers behind the unity negotiations. It is no exaggeration to say that he lived for revolution, worked for revolution, and died while working for revolution.

              K.S’s live as revolutionary was eventful. He was born in hilly town called KURSEONG of Darjeeling district of Bengal in 1929. He has spent his childhood days in hilly environment of Darjeeling. For that reason some of his qualities ingredients to the hill people like bearing physical hardship as well as steadfastness to over come any difficulties that come in the way of work. K.S was third among seven sons and daughters of his father late Anand Govind Sanyal and mother Nirmala Sanyal.

              He came to politics when he was a student of intermediate of Jalpaiguri College. He in his teen was admirer of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Slowly he came in touch with communist activists. He took part in student movements. During those days the communist party was banned. During this period K.S came in close contact with Rakhal Majumdar and Sunil Sarkar in Siliguri who were functioning secretly under the cover organization called Janaraksha committee. During this period K.S had to give up his studies because of his poor financial family condition and got a job in west Bengal government land settlement department under SDO in Siliguri. But he continued to keep in close touch with communist leaders. This time K.S took active part in black flag protest demonstration against the killing of Latika-Pratibha-Omiya and Geeta by the police when they leading a peaceful rally in Kolkata demanding revoking the ban imposed on communist party by the then congress rules under the chief minister ship of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Ray. K.S was one of the front liners black flag waver against Dr. B.C Ray. He was immediately arrested for participating in the protest demonstration. He spent three months in prison and subsequently released on bail. Inside the jail he came in close contact with leading communist leaders like Charu Majumdar, Shauresh Mitra, Anil Mukherjee, Khagen Roychaudhari and Rakhal Chaudhari. Coming out of jail he got the party membership in March 1950. During this period he soon rose in the militant ranks of the student of the youth movement and became important student youth leader of Student Federation and became state committee member. Returning from jail he had decided to become full time worker of undivided CPI and subsequently in 1952 K.S entered the Naxal Bari peasant-adivasi area as a full time communist activist to organize the peasant movement. He came to Naxal Bari and started working under the guidance of late Keshab Sarkar. Soon he became a valued independent organizer. His diverse activities in the cause of the revolutionary movement brought him to the notice of 

Ruling authorities and he was arrested several times starting in 1950. As per party's instruction K.S made all-out efforts to organize and expand the party base among the tea garden workers and peasants of rural areas of Tarai region.

                At the early period he along with late Jangal Santal, late Keshab Sarkar, late Panchanand Sarkar, late Jogen Mukherjee, late Kadom Mallick, Khokhan Majumdar and Khudan Mallick started working under the banner of’ Tarai Kishan Shamiti’. Later on they started organizing the peasants on the bases of the program and slogan given by the then ‘Kishan Sabah’ and the ‘communist party’. To implement the program of ‘land to the tillers’ they formed a platform called Siliguri Mohakuma (sub divisional) Kishan Sabah. Tea planter-land lords with the help of government administration and police conspired to evict the poor peasants from their lands and deprived from their rightful shares of the crops. Against such alliance under the leadership of K.S, worker and peasants got themselves organize and conducted series of struggles. During this period the forms of struggles were both peaceful as well as armed.

                  Gradually struggles surged ahead from lower to higher phase and finally it culminated into uprising of Naxal Bari on 24^th may 1967. 20 years after the great Telengana struggle the spring thunder over Tarai once again boldly put forwarded the correct path of Indian revolution.

                  It is very important to note that the Naxal Bari armed workers peasants uprising have a long process of development. It is perhaps necessary to recall some of the incidents to asses and to understand the reality behind the great Naxal Bari uprising. Today there exist many wrong notions and misconceived understandings among many people including communist revolutionaries. After the death of K.S, the maker of Naxal Bari, many people started telling lot of stories which are completely false and full of deceptions. Let us know from K.S’s own writing regarding the exact history of great Naxal Bari struggle.

               K.S in his writing “ the history of CPI(ML) from 1969 to 72- An evaluation”, says “ it would not be out of context to refer that comrade C.M (Charu Majumdar) was lying in his sick bed due to heart ailments and he was unable to attend the seventh west Bengal conference and party congress but the important comrade s of the Darjeeling district use to exchange view with him because of the respect to him as he was the senior most comrade in Siliguri and was also associated with Tebhaga movement  

in Jalpaiguri district. After the arrest of some comrades of Darjeeling district in the last part of 1964 and others in 1965 they were all loaded in Berhampur central jail. It was during this period some news came out in the news paper about call of armed struggle by comrade C.M. naturally there was commotion inside and outside the party. The state committee issued statement condemning it as anti party. The said documents were smuggled inside the jail and Darjeeling comrades especially the district committee members from Siliguri held discussion with comrade C.M. The main points of discussion were- a) CPI (M) is a revisionist party and unmasking them is the main political task. b) The path of Indian revolution is along the path of China and the immediate task is to start armed struggle. c) To build up secret combat group is the immediate task. d) Combat group will set fire to the houses of the land lords and eliminate the land lords physically. e) Collection of guns is another immediate task f) action mobilizes the masses and not the political propaganda. g) No necessity of mass organization and mass struggles. And h) area wise seizure of political power. . These issues were debated strongly. There was agreement on the question of path i.e. armed struggle but disagreement on combat group as eminent or immediate task, indispensability of mass organization and mass struggle. Political work and actions are not opposed to each other. On the contrary actions will be meaningless if politics is not at command. The political work is necessary condition for preparation an armed struggle. Comrade C.M disagreed but it was decided that revisionism is to be fought united. It was also agreed to work separately and learn from practice. It was also decided that comrades who upheld mass revolutionary line would practice in Siliguri Tarai region. And the comrades who upheld the line of action oriented secret combat group negating mass line would practice at Chater Haat area.

               K.S further observed “in view of intense and continued debate a convention was organized on May 7^th 1967 at village Rambola Jote under Khoribari P.S. workers-peasants most of whom were rural base party members of Siliguri subdivition and Darjeeling hill comrades along with Shadow district committee members like Jangal Santal, Souren Bose, Budhiman Bantewa, Dipak Biswas, Khokhan Majumdar, Keshab Sarkar were all present. There was more than 10/14 hours of debate and the convention clearly clinch the issue in fever of mass line against the politics of individual terror strategy through voting. This convention was the  

harbinger of Naxal Bari struggle and from this convention the slogan of capture of lands was raised along with four other slogans including the slogan of defending the captured land with conventional weapons were given”

          K.S continued “another important aspect of Naxal Bari struggle should be mentioned. It is already stated that the major section of comrades gathered under the banner of CPI (M) but many comrades who were carrying on struggles against the neo-revisionist leadership formed several groups to carry on struggles in and outside the CPI (M).” K.S further observed, “During this period comrade Charu Majumdar also advocated armed struggles in the Darjeeling district against the parliamentary path being peddled by the CPI (M) leadership. Here it should be remembered that there were existence of continuous mass base and also existence of continuous class struggle by the peasants and the tea garden workers in Darjeeling district since 1955 onwards. I would be proper to mention that the vast majority of the comrades in Darjeeling district rebelled against CPI and joined CPI (M). Like wise the vast majority of the party members of CPI (M) of workers and peasant origin rebelled against the neo-revisionist leadership of the CPI (M). The shadow district committee within the CPI (M) was carrying on struggles against the neo-revisionist as well as against the left adventurist trends of comrade C. M.” 

           From the above description given by K.S it is evident that since the beginning there existed two lines of understanding regarding the Naxal Bari struggle. One represented by K.S and other by C.M. In fact the Naxal Bari struggle was started and developed to the point of armed uprising on the basis of the line advocated by K.S. The existence of two lines was not known to comrades of the AICCCR that is why AICCCR could not dispel the misconceptions regarding the actual facts. If one goes to actual facts, one has to go back to the days of peasant movement of 1959. When congress government of West Bengal enacted ceiling on land and consciously did not implement the land there by deprived the peasants from land. Kishan Sabah of West Bengal had given call to stop Benami transaction of land by the land lords within the limit of certain dates. But the Kishan Sabah of Siliguri committee opposed the move and demanded to enact ceiling on the cultivable and non cultivable land and only ceiling act under the preview of the enactment should be left out and all the rest beyond the ceiling should be captured. This demand of Siliguri Kishan

Sabah was rejected by the state leadership of Provincial Kishan Council. In spite of the opposition Siliguri Kishan Sabah waged the struggle against Benami transfers. This act of Siliguri comrades was rejected and criticized by the party state conference in 1960-61 and called for withdrawal by the leadership. This withdrawal was supported by  

 Comrade C.M too but in spite of official withdrawal, the movement for land surged ahead. This time was very crucial and complex because in one hand anti China hysteria on the other the divisions of communist party have created huge political problems along with continuous attack on comrades by the government. Many comrades were sent to jail in the year 1962-64 and again in the year 1964-66. During this period the government started wide spread attacks on the peasants and tea garden workers. Thousands of workers and peasants and their leaders were arrested under Defense of India Rules. During this period party comrades had to reorganize the CPI (M) and lead the on going peasant struggle. They also had to combat the neo- revisionists and the left anarchists. In this situation comrades again started recapturing of lands, especially against two big land lords and the area virtually became free of land lords. Rich peasants and small land lords gave full support to the movement. The peasants started stanching guns from the land lords’ Gundas’. And finally in March 1967 the Siliguri Kishan Sabah demolished all the concrete quarters on the land that was forcibly taken from the workers by the planters and the workers took the position of the same land. During this time comrade C.M purposefully avoided shadow committee and gave slogans to boycott 1967 election. Comrade K.S and comrade Jangal Santal released from jail just before 1967 election. The boycott line was fought by the Siliguri comrades and Jangal Santal was made the candidate of CPI (M) in 1967.

                 Comrade Jangal Santal was defeated in the election but the congress ministry was also defeated and U.F ministry came to power in West Bengal in 1967. This time one of the big land lord Iswar Tirkey who happened to be a congress MLA tried to evict Bigul Kishan from his borga land in Naxal Bari. This created anger and gathered momentum. Comrade Jangal Santal led this struggle against this eviction. This created hue and cry by the media because Tirkey was not only an MLA but also a former deputy minister. The CPI (M) leadership 

went against their own comrades of Darjeeling and started campaigning against the comrades and terms this movement as the conspiracy to topple the U.F ministry. The left adventurist line led by C.M started propagating that revolutionary section led by K.S and Jangal Santal is nothing but militant economics. Both the claims were disapproved by the reality. U.F ministry ordered the police force to install police camps and issued arrest warrants against the leaders and activist of the movement. Comrade Hare Krishna Konar invited the leaders of the movement for talks. Accordingly comrade K.S and comrade Souren Bose went to meet comrade Konar in a forest bungalow in Shukna. Comrade Konar demanded surrender of all the comrades wanted by the police. Comrade K.S and comrade Souren Bose demanded and wanted clarification that why not the land lords will be arrested against whom many F.I.R. s’ were lodged but there was no reply. The talks broke down.

            Under this complex and critical situation the local struggling comrades remain firm. With in a week a large number of police force entered into a village called Bara Jharu to arrest the struggling comrades but the police force faced a strong resistance from the local villagers and this news like a fire spread all over the surrounding tea gardens. Thousands of peasant and workers rushed to the spot and a scuffle took place as a result police inspector Wangdi was killed. This incident took place in May 1967. This is the first time that the police forces were resisted with conventional weapons and hands. Thus the struggle for land turns in to a higher stage. This was a qualitative change in the struggle. And 24^th may became the Naxal Bari day. On 25^th may at Prosadu Jote women comrades were holding general meeting. SDO along with huge police force came to the meeting place. Seeing the police force women comrades surrounded the police and disarmed them. Seeing this mood of the women masses SDO requested the leaders to let them go. Women comrades agreed and allowed the SDO and police to go. Police left that spot with their arms but suddenly halted and open fired upon the women force and the eleven women comrades with a baby got killed. This incident exposed the real face of U.F government and the ugly face of CPI and CPI (M). These incidents created a great stir through out India and it exposed the sham hollowness of parliamentary path and brought forward the need of agrarian revolution and Naxal Bari became the turning point of the history of communist movement. K.S has become the hero of communist movement and helmsman of historic Naxal Bari workers-peasant struggle.

                               It is perhaps not irrelevant to mention some of the important happenings in connection with Naxal Bari struggle to have a clear picture. During the period July 1967 to September 1967 were very crucial. Continues encirclement by the armed police and paramilitary forces took place. Sudden arrest of Jangal Santal and Babulal Biswakarmakar created problem for the leadership. These caused problems because government made wide propaganda about their arrest. During this period the leadership decided to contact Chinese communist party.

                  Accordingly four comrades under the leadership of Kanu Sanyal went to China. These four comrades were Dipak Biswas, Khudan Mallick, Khokhan Majumdar and K.S himself. They stayed three months in China. They got extensive military training, technique of Guerilla warfare and Marxism- Leninism and Mao Tse Tung thoughts. At the fag end of their stay they met Mao Tse Tung, Chou En Lai, Kag Sengh, Liu Ning Yee and commander in chief of PLA. K.S talked to Mao for 45 minutes. Mao asked to K.S and others regarding their educational back ground, names, and about their journey. Mao told that, CPC supported Naxal Bari struggle because the experience of struggle in China was similar to Naxal Bari. Mao also asked K.S “have you read Hunan Report” and further “how many guns you have with you. And what types of guns are these?” in reply to this query K.S gave brief account of their positions. Mao further continued “in the beginning we had 120 or a little more gun and plenty of muzzle loader guns. If you persist in struggle you will get guns from enemy.”

                    Mao further explained “Soviet Union is trying to convene an international conference but they will fail to organize this, by this they are putting the noose around the neck and one end of the noose is in their hands or the world people who are to pull the noose and they will collapse.” He further said “soviet union has changed into social imperialism.” Mao categorically said that the Cultural Revolution is meant for China only and not for other countries. Mao enquired about their stay and finally Mao concluded “whatever you learned in China, forget it and act according to the situation of your country.” In this way meeting with Mao was ended. During K.S’s stay in China they met Chou En Lai thrice. He invited them for dinner and enquired about the struggle and situation of the struggle.

                   They returned to Katmandu on 25^th December 1967. Comrade K.S has given detailed description about their visit to this author which is recorded in video format. Second delegation of eight comrades visited China which comprised of Anil Mukherjee, Souren Bose, Kadom Lalmallick, Manilal Singh, Dulal Mondal, Pabitra Sengupta, Sukumar Ray, and Santi Pal. It is to be mentioned here that comrade Krishnabhakta Sharma was the first comrade who went to China on foot and explore the way for subsequent delegation. Second delegation stayed six months in China.

                    After returning from China K.S again got arrested in 1968 beginning and released on 9^th April 1969. While comrade K.S and others were in China AICCR was formed in November 1967. Comrade K.S was not in knowledge of this development. Again after returning from China he was arrested and after one year he came out from jail and formation of CPI (ML) was announced by K.S in first may 1969 in Kolkata. By the time of formation of CPI (ML) the differences and intense debts started inside and out side the AICCR which was not known to K.S and to Naxal Bari comrades.

                      CPI (ML) adopted line of Charu Majumdar which was earlier rejected by Naxal Bari movement under the leadership of K.S. Many important comrades such as T.Nagi Reddy, D.V Rao, C.P Reddy (the entire APCCR), Asit Sen., Parimal Dasgupta, and many others did not join the CPI (ML) because of serious differences and subsequently they formed their separate organizations immediately after May 1969.

                      CPI (ML) while rejecting the line of mass organization, mass movement and sustained development of mass revolutionary struggle, adopted the anarchist line of terrorism under the leadership of Charu Majumdar. The CPI (ML) in 1969 was in fact formed on the bases of rejected politics of mass approach towards mass struggle and mass organization. According to K.S, ‘to make it clear that the guerilla struggle means formation of secret and conspiratorial squads to attack land lords.’ This line of understanding advocated by comrade C.M was old line before Naxal Bari struggle and the party formed in 1969 accepted this line as the party line. Here it may be mentioned once again that this politics of secret action and combat group of C.M was defeated as Rambola Jote on 7^th may 1967. It has no relation with Marxism, Leninism and Mao Tse Tung thoughts. The party CPI (ML) was formed in 1969 on the bases of anarchism and terrorism and it was devoid of working class and peasantry.”

                         Ideological struggle between two lines inside the Darjeeling comrades never came to the knowledge of AICCR. It is because of this, nobody from Naxal Bari struggle was the member of AICCR. The real makers of Naxal Bari were kept outside the AICCR deliberately. Not only that but also the eminent communist leaders like Pramod Sengupta, Nagi Reddy, Parimal Dasgupta, D.V. Rao, C.P. Reddy and Asit Sen. were thorn out from the organization in the name of differences. These actions were purposeful and deliberate on the part of C.M to establish his authority.

                          K.S was again arrested in 1970 and remains inside the jail till 1979 may 8^th. On May 9^th 1979 he came out from jail. While he was in Vishakhanpattanam jail he got himself engaged in waging ideological and political struggle against the ultra left line of CPI (ML).Sitting inside the jail he wrote “more about Naxal Bari” in 1973 where he gave detail account of Naxal Bari uprising and the role of various comrades including his own. Subsequently he came out with brutally frank and honest self criticism. In his self criticism K.S wrote “the line of annihilation of class enemies secretly and conspiratorially was enunciated by comrade C.M and so he is mainly and wholly responsible and for this he cannot absolved. His line was defeated during Naxal Bari struggle but K.S also failed to carry on the struggle against this line on a sustained way. K.S suffered from anti Marxists ideas of leader and led. K.S opposed comrade C.M on many political junctures but in the wider panorama K.S took a most non Marxist and anti Marxist stand during the formation of CPI(ML) visa vies the role of comrade C.M. although C.M’s line failed and was defeated in Naxal Bari struggle in 1967; but when K.S found most of the comrades of other states were supporting comrade C.M and line of annihilation was already in application in wider panorama K.S took the position of ‘ let me wait and see’ at this stage. This showed that K.S had actually shunned Marxism and yielded to empiricism and practices worst form of liberalism. K.S’s silences in 1969 during the formation of the party as well as his own silence during the party congress in 1970 were taken as mute support for C.M’s line. So K.S is equally responsible for the anti Marxist line practiced by the CPI (ML).” further he concludes “K.S thinks that his own non Marxist approach was due to various factors- frequent going to jail and coming out from 1959 to 1969, long U.G life, 100 days hunger strike in jail and above all confusion about long standing comrades and frequent changes and separation in comradely camps. All these things together led to the development of some sort of proneness to liberalist approach.”

                 His bold self criticism made him a strong communist. That is why he differentiated himself from others and he genuinely tried to rectify his mistakes. The process of realization and rectification started from jail itself since 1970. He established an example for others. K.S’s entire life is based on communist values and morals. He never had double standard of life. He was a plain simple living communist. He lived with the people; he remained faithful to the people and dependent on the people till the death. He didn’t suddenly develop into a champion of the workers and peasants. He always was afraid of too many high sounding words preventing action. He sincerely believed that revolutionary works must not remain on paper only; they must be put in to action and practice. He was really mass revolutionary leader and true communist.

                 K.S while remaining inside jail came in close contact with T. Nagi Reddy another legendary figure in the communist movement who had been conducting ideological and political struggle against wrong line of CPI, CPM and CPI (ML) and initiated steps to unite the genuine communist forces outside the jail. T. Nagi Reddy’s initiative was fully supported by K.S from jail. T.N’s initiative was resulted in formation of Unity Centre of Communist Revolutionaries of India (Marxist-Leninist) UCCRI (ML). Comrade K.S had sent a massage through Nagi Reddy expressing his greetings to the all India conference and said “I am one of your members inside the jail”. I was lucky and be proud of being present in that historical conference in 1975 April. A conference elected five central committee members comprising of D.V Rao (general secretary), T.Nagi Reddy, Anil Mukherjee, Mani Guha and Subodh Mitra. I was the youngest CCM of UCCRI (ML).

                   Coming out from jail in 1979 K.S took initiative to unite the CR groups that resulted initially in formation of OCCR in 1981 and latter on in 1985 under the leadership of K.S six groups namely

 OCCR(led by K.S), UCCRI(ML) (led by Subodh Mitra), COC CPI(ML) (led by Umadhar Singh), CPI(ML) Kaimurrange (led by Ravi Shankar), ICP (led by M.H Krishnappa) and liberation front (led by Sabuj Sen.) decided to merge into single organization and on 24^th may 1985 and formed COI(ML) through a unity convention. The unity convention elected K.S as general secretary with Asit Sinha, M.H Krishnappa, Sabuj Sen., Ravi Shankar, Umadhar Singh, and Subodh Mitra as central secretariat members. By this time T. Nagi Reddy died on 28^th July 1976.

                  K.S was not stopped there. He further went ahead and traveled all over India to unite the genuine CR forces into one single party. Since 1980 he was visiting various comrades, conducting discussion with every possible groups and individuals.

                  During the period of 1984 to 1990 he visited Kerala several times. Comrade K.S along with comrade Asit Sinha and Subodh Mitra met comrade K.P.R Gopalan number of times. Comrade K.P.R Gopalan, the legend of communist movement, was very close to comrade K.S. I was lucky to be the part of those meetings. Comrade K.S established close contact with K.P.R.In Kerala. COI (ML) formed its state unit. Important leaders were Gouri Dasan Nair, Mandalam Mohammad, Dr. Karoli, I.C. Rajapan, and M.K. Krishnan Kutti. Kerala unit of COI (ML) had a very close friendly relation with K.P.R and his organization Bolshevick Party.

                      At all India level K.S along with K.P.R, M.H Krishnappa and Satyanarayana Sinha took joint initiative to unite other CR groups also. This resulted in formation of 13 group joint coordination in 1984. K.P.R merged with CPIU (ML) in 1991 and elected as the chairman of CPIU (ML). K.P.R was legendary figure in the communist movement. He was always in favor of unity of CR groups. In Kerala K.P.R was leading and inspiring figure, who came out from CPI (M) and waged relentless struggle against revisionism and anarchism of CPI (M) and CPI(ML)respectively.. He was very close to UCCRI (ML) and its leaders, D.V Rao, T. Nagi Reddy and others. Unity process was going on even after the death of T.Nagi Reddy, D.V Rao, and K.P.R Gopalan under the leadership of K.S. In 2003, three all India groups namely COI(ML), CPIU(ML), and CPI(ML) Unity Initiative had united into CPI(ML) and at the same time held discussion with Kerala based CPI(ML) Red Flag and again in 2005 CPI(ML) and CPI(ML) Red Flag merged into CPI(ML) under the leadership of comrade K.S through unity conference.

                       I have three decades of close relationship with K.S and got the opportunity to work with him, to live with him and traveled with him through out India. I have closely watched him and learned from his life struggle. He always believed in building up people’s alternative against sustained attack on Marxism. He always raised his voice against attack on democratic rights of the people by the state and its forces. In spite of his ill-health he rushed to Singur from Darjeeling to protest against atrocities and to meet the fighting peasants of Singur. On his way to Singur, along with his comrades Subrata Basu, Padip Debnath and Subodh Mitra, he got arrested. Again when genocide took place in Nandigram, K.S with heavy pain and agony rushed to Nandigram to extend his support to the heroic struggle. In Nandigram he met fighting people, held extensive discussions with the leaders of the movement and warned the disruptive forces who tried to mislead and convert the struggle to capture the area for their narrow ulterior motive. When he along with comrade Asit Sinha, comrade Subodh Mitra, comrade late Rabin Guha, comrade Swadesh Banerjee, comrade Asim Ghosh, comrade Gautam Chaterjee and comrade late Bahar Sekh was going to meet Anju Dhara, the leading woman activist of Nandigram struggle, in her village of Nandigram, the TMC and Maoist cadres combined and tried to block his way, Comrade K.S gave bold reply to them and warned them for their disruptive role. After talking to the people of Nandigram he made a statement terming Nandi gram’s struggle as ‘turning point of the history of the people’s democratic resistance movement in India.’

                       He extended his full support to the struggle of Adivasi’ of Jangalmahal and opposed the repression of joint Para military forces including the operation of Green Hunt in Lalgarh. He demanded immediate withdrawal of UAPA.

                      We use to call him Kanu Da. During his 60 years of political life he spent 18 years in jail, 15 years in underground. He always lived with the toiling masses. His living place since 1979 was in party commune situated in remote village called Sebdella Jote under Hatighisha mauza in Naxal Bari. This particular village was created by comrades who came out from jail 78-79 period. Many of the great fighters of Naxal Bari uprising like late Jangal Santal and late Keshab Sarkar used to live in this village and their families are still living there. K.S was looked after by the people and comrades there. K.S’s end came in the very commune.

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