Hare Krishna Konar


Hare Krishna Konar was a fire brand politician, belonging to the Communist Party of India, who played a major role in land reforms in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Early life

In 1930 he participated in the civil disobedience movement and later, in 1932, was convicted for revolutionary activities. At the age of 18, in 1933, he was condemned to the Andaman Islands for six years. Inside the jail he formed the Communist Consolidation with other communist prisoners. He joined the communist movement in 1938.

Elections

He won the elections to the state assembly from Kalna in 1957, 1962, 1967, 1969 and 1971. He was Minister for Land and Land Revenue in the United Front ministries in 1967 and 1969.

Land reforms

After joining the communist movement he became a prominent leader of the Kisan movement first in Burdwan district and later in West Bengal. He was a Council member of Communist Party of India. He was one of the 32 founder-members of Communist Party of India when it was formed from Communist Party of India in 1964. He was the General Secretary of the All India Kisan Sabha and a member of the Central Committee of the CPI.
Hare Krishna Konar played a leading role in getting surplus land held by big land owners in excess of land ceiling laws and kept ‘benami’ vested with the state. The quantum of land thus vested was around one million acres of good agricultural land. Subsequently, under the leadership of Benoy Choudhury, this land was distributed amongst 2.4 million landless and poor farmers. It has been argued that this land reform along with Operation Barga formed the base for the Left Front victory in subsequent elections.
Barga Operation was his notable contribution. To begin with, group meetings between Officials and Bargadars were organized during "settlement camps", where the bargadars could discuss their grievances. The first such camp was held at Halusai in Polba taluk in Hooghly district from 18 to 20 May 1978. In noted camp two Adibashi Borgaders objected procedure adopted by the official for Barga Operation. They suggested to start it organising people in the field instead of sitting in the houses of rural rich people or the places dominated by them. Having that report Hare Krishna Konar immediately reorganised action plan and successful Barga Operation was done.

Death

He died in July 1974 due to cancer at the age of 59. His brother Benoy Krishna Konar was another CPI leader.