Shankar Guha Niyogi (14 February 1943 – 28 September 1991) was an Indian labor leader who was the founder of the Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha, a labor union run in the town of Dalli Rajhara Mines in Chhattisgarh, India.[1]

Shankar Guha Niyogi
Personal details
Born
Dhiresh Guha Niyogi

(1943-02-14)14 February 1943
Died28 September 1991(1991-09-28) (aged 48)
Cause of deathMurdered
NationalityIndian
SpouseAsha Guha Niyogi
OccupationActivist

Early life

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Guha Niyogi was born as Dhiresh Guha Niyogi[2] in Naogaon district of Assam. He completed his schooling in Asansol and involved with the communist leaders during his student life. He was also associated with the Food Movement in West Bengal in 1959. Guha Niyogi joined in Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College but did not finished his study.[3] He started his career as coke oven operation in Bhilai Steel Plant.[4]

Movements

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Guha Niyogi was founder of Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha, a political party for his vision towards labour of Rajhara Mines. In young age Niyogi came to Bhilai and involved in the struggles of steel workers.[5] He became a popular and legendary figure of anti liquor movements in Chhattisgarh.[6] During The Emergency in India he was arrested and imprisoned several times due to the labour movements.[7][4] He established Shaheed Hospital in Bhilai for the Mine and other workers.[8]

Death

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Niyogi was shot and killed while asleep on 28 September 1991 in his house.[9] The trial of his murder suspects generated tremendous controversy, as a lower court awarded strict punishments to all suspects, but higher courts later convicted just one suspect, and let off two industrialists.[10][11]

References

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  1. ^ "Shankar Guha Niyogi and Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha Documents Archive". sanhati.com. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  2. ^ Vijay, Devi; Varman, Rohit (February 2018). Alternative Organisations in India: Undoing Boundaries. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-108-42217-8.
  3. ^ "The Many Legacies of Shankar Guha Niyogi". NewsClick. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  4. ^ a b Chew, Dolores (1991). "Shankar Guha Niyogi 1943-1991". Labour, Capital and Society / Travail, capital et société. 24 (2): 243–245. ISSN 0706-1706. JSTOR 43157936.
  5. ^ Roy, Arundhati (1 February 2006). An Ordinary Person's Guide To Empire. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN 978-93-5118-436-2.
  6. ^ "Remembering Shankar Guha Niyogi, the Legendary Labour Leader of Chhattisgarh". The Wire. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  7. ^ "Remembering Shankar Guha Niyogi On His Death Anniversary| Countercurrents". countercurrents.org. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  8. ^ "History". Shaheed Hospital. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Shankar Guha Niyogi: Marxist, Ambedkarite, Gandhian". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  10. ^ "A verdict and some questions". The Hindu Frontline. 11 March 2005. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020.
  11. ^ "A verdict and some questions - Frontline". 10 August 2020. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
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