Muzaffar Ahmed

‘KAKA BABU’ MUZAFFAR AHMED

Date of Birth: 5^th August, 1889 and Date of Death: 18^th December, 1973

            Muzaffar Ahmed, who was popularly known as ‘Kaka Babu’, and who desired an egalitarian society besides independence from the Imperialist British rule, was born on 5^th August, 1889 in Sandwip, Noukhali district in East Bengal, which is presently called Bangladesh.  He had to feed his family, while pursuing his studies because of poverty from his childhood.  His fondness for reading and dedication for learning made him a good writer and an appealing orator.  He opposed the division of Bengal in 1906, at a very young age.  Muzaffar Ahmed entered into direct politics in 1916.  He got inspired by the success of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in 1917.  Later, he led the movement opposing the crule Rowlatt Act of 1919.  He had cordial relations with the revolutionaries in Bengal.  He got acquainted with the Communist ideology from the Muhajarins, who returned to India from Russia after their historical ‘Hizarath’.  Thus, he established relations with the International Communist Movement in Bengal.  As the British government wanted to crub the Communist Movement in its budding stage itself, it implicated Muzaffar Ahmed in well known Peshawar conspiracy case.  Though he was facing harassment from the British government, he further intensified his activities during 1924-25.  While continuing his writings, he held different posts in the Indian National Congress.  He played an active role as a member of the Bengal Provincial Congress Committee during 1926-27 and as a member of the All India National Congress Committee during 1927-29.  When World War-II started in 1939, he actively participated in several anti-war demonstrations, for which he was arrested several times by British Government.  Though the Communists did not took part in the Quit India Movement of 1942, Muzaffar Ahmed, as a writer stood along with the activist of Indian National Movement.  He spent many years behind bars because of his fighting nature against the Imperialistic rule of the British.  Muzaffar, who was famous not only as a committed freedom fighter and a communist leader, but also as a man of the people, ‘Kaka Babu’ Muzaffar Ahmed breathed his last on 18^th December, 1973.