Delwar Kabir, Jhenaidah :
The house of fire-brand peasant leader Ila Mitra at Bagautia village under Jhenaidah has been ruining faster as the building is not reconstructed or maintained for decades together.
The resident (said to be owner of the house in exchange with Ila MItara’s successors) said, the house is attacked by their village rivals which refrained them from reconstruct or maintain the historical one.
Ila Mitra led the historic Tebhagha Andolon (a movement favoring the peasants) against the British rules had demanded at lest two-third of the crops for the farmers, while one -third by the so-called land owners during the British reign.
According to senior citizens and concern personalities, Ila Mitra was born in October 18 in 1925 and died on October 13 in 2002. She was the peasants movement leader in the Indian sub continent, especially in the then Jhenaidah.sub division of Kolkata.
Although she was born in a upper middleclass family, she started her life as a communist activist in 1945. Ila married Ramendra Mitra, who w also from the Zaminder family in Chapainawabganj in greater Rajshahi leading his life as a communist. He participated in peasants movement better known as Tebhaga Andolon against the British rulers. Ila Mitra’s forefathers were living at Bagutia village of Sailkupa upazila in Jhenaidah then. As Ila left Sailkupa after her marriage with Ramendra Mitra, started living in Chapainawabganj.
Ila was arrested was arrested by police on January 5 of 1950 as she organized a Shantal peasants movement in Nachole upazila of the district and she was tortured. As she was trying to escape from the police clutch was arrested and sent to Rajshahi Central Jail on February 21 in the same year. After a trial for treason Ila Mitra was sentenced for life in imprisonment.
For heavy physical and mental torture by the rulers Ila Mitra got sick in prison. Tthe United Front Government released her on parole and sent to Kolkata for her treatment. Ila did not return back to Pakistan and breather her life in India.
When this correspondent visited the house of Ila Mitra at Bagutia in Sailkupa of the Jhenaidah witnessed the house is decaying faster as the repairing and maintenances work of the house was not done at all. Locals said, said some Kiamuddin Hazi with his family is living there.
Kiamuddin’s son Abdur Rashid when contacted said, his father has purchased the house from the successors of Mitra where they have been living with valid documents. They could not start any renovation or maintenance work as the rivals in the village have been attacking the house frequently due to rivalry.
Her paternal house at Bagutia village in Shailkupa upazila, 40 kilometers away from Jhenaidah district town is now in ruins and partly occupied by others and her land grabbed.
Ila Mitra was born and brought up in Calcutta as her father Nagendranath was a service holder there.
Now, most people in the area are not aware about this aristocratic lady who sacrificed her life for the downtrodden people. Asked about her house, some villagers said they only know that this house belonged to a rebel person.
Visiting the house of Ila Mitra yesterday this correspondent found sons of one Hazi Kiam Uddin living there.
Ila Sen was married with Ramendra Nath Mitra of Ramchandrapur in Chapainababganj. After her marriage Ila Sen was known as Ila Mitra.
In her student life she got involved in student politics. She was also an athletic in India and she was expert in basket ball. After her marriage she came to Bangladesh. She started to teach students in girls’ school which was established by her husband and his friend Altaf Hossain of the village. Then she declared in the school “Sabar Janya shikha”. Side by side she got involved in the distress of the peasants of Nachole in Chapanababganj.
At the time the English ruled the Bangladesh in 1945. The Second World War was going on. The whole country was busy in anti government movement for dividing land of the peasants. The peasants of Nachole were the heart of the movement. The peasants of Nachole and Sautals were in the role of the movement. This is why this movement is known as “Nachole biddrho”. Ila was the ring leader from 1946 to 1950 in the Nachole biddroho.
She died in October, 14, 2002.
Bisharat Ali of Bagutia village said, her ancestral property should be protected. She is our pride.
Contacted, Azmul Haq Upazila Nirbahi officer of Shailkupa upazila said, no letter he has received yet in this regard. The government does not take any step in this regard.
Ila Mitra Srity Sangrakkhan Parishad organized human chain in front of National Press Club recently.
