Janashiksha Andolan: An Enlightenment in Tribal Masses of Tripura Through the Educational Revolution

Seventy-eight years ago 'The Janashiksha Andolan was accomplished.The worldwide sociopolitical situation of that time contributed a lot behind this mass movement.The Fascists were defeated in the second world war and some socialist powers raised their heads in so many countries in the world.'Tripur' was a princely state, surrounded by dense forest and hilly areas.Throughout the land, Tribal people (having 19 clans) lived in a maximum portion.Agartala was the capital.Besides the place, nowhere any type of educational infrastructure, nor any initiative for education existed in Tripura.Only the sons of the royal employees, the Thakurs and the Kartas of urban areas of Agartala got the scope to be educated.Some boardings were established in Agartala or the adjacent areas to Agartala with the inspirations of the compassionate royal employees like Ramkumar Thakur, Oakhirai Thakur.The boychildren from remote hilly lands were brought to the plain land for educating.Umakanta Boarding was one of them.Maximum students of this boarding were conscious about the pains and sorrows, troubles and hardships of the poor tribal people in the state.Aghore Debbarma, Dasarath Deb, Sudhanya Debbarma, Dinesh Debbarma, Dr. Nilamani Debbarma, Hemanta Debbarma were the pioneer leaders of the movement.And the primary leadership of Biren Dutta led the movement to a destination.It was him, who became the via in involving communist Party in this movement through various social reforms among the tribal community of Tripura.P. C. Joshi was the secretary of thethen Communist Party.