Pandit Karyanand Sharma

Pandit Karyanand Sharma (1901-1965) was an eminent nationalist and peasant leader who led movements against zamindars and Britishers.

Biography

Pandit Karyanand Sharma was born in Sahoor village in Monghyr district into a poor tenant Bhumihar Brahmin family. [cite book
first = Arvind Narayan
last = Das
title = Agrarian Movements in India:Studies on 20th Century Bihar
publisher = Routledge
year = 1982] Although he started studying in 1906, he had soon to leave school and help the family in cultivation. However, between 1914 and 1920, he educated himself and matriculated in 1920 just in time to join the non-cooperation movement.

Contribution to freedom movement and peasant movement

He was arrested and sentenced to one year. After release from jail, he became more and more involved in peasant issues and in 1927 organized a struggle of the tenants at Chanan against arbitrary extortions by the zamindars. this was particularly directed against the Giddhaur Raj and Kaira estate. Since these zamindars and their minions were particularly oppressive, the local Congress leaders permitted Karyanand to carry on the struggle though they themselves did not extend much help. Nevertheless, because of the unity among the tenants, the zamindars had to bow down and this victory became a great morale-booster for the peasants in Monghyr.

After the famous Barahiya Bakasht Andolan in 1937-39, strictures were passed against him and in 1938 he was arrested by the then Congress government. After his release from prison when he joined the Kisan Movement he was jailed again and again. During these long sojourns he got a chance to read Marxist literature and joined the Communist Party of India although, until 1943 he remained a member of the All India Congress Committee. After independence, he became one of the top leaders of the Communist Party of India and leader of its legislature party until his death.

References

Also refer :people.indiatimes.com/articleshow/813210.cmsSwami and Friends- By Arvind N Das http://www.virginia.edu/soasia/symsem/kisan/papers/swami.html