Rebati Mohan Barman: A revolutionary for life, from school to death

The name Rebati Mohan Barman instantly evokes the memory of a seminal book—The Evolution of Society and Civilization. Its author was one of the key architects of the communist movement in this region, a lifelong revolutionary and a social reformer. The book and its author have become inseparable in the minds of many. Since its publication in 1952, this work has been essential reading for leftist politicians and activists across the Indian subcontinent.

During his imprisonment in British India, Rebati Barman was subjected to brutal torture by the colonial authorities, which ultimately led to his contracting leprosy. In 1949, despite the disease and with decaying fingers tied to a pen with rope, he composed The Evolution of Society and Civilization in his hometown Bhairab.

This book, published in 1952, became indispensable in Marxist scholarship and was equally valued by students of history and society. Such a work could not have been written by a political activist alone—it required the penetrating vision of a social analyst and a deep understanding of history. Rebati Barman possessed these rare qualities, which enabled him to create a classic of political literature and attain a form of immortality through a single book. He passed away on May 6, 1952, at the age of 47. He was born in 1903 in Bengal.

Human history is essentially a history of class struggle and labor. Rebati Mohan Barman, a lifelong believer in the theory of class struggle and the quest for a society free of exploitation, once sat for his B.A. examination from prison and secured first place with First Class Honours in English Literature. His father, Harnath Barman, was a renowned lawyer who had been granted the title of "Rai" by the British for his loyalty. The Barman family hailed from Shimulkandi village in Kishoreganj (then part of greater Mymensingh), a prominent household of wealth and education.

Rebati began his education under the guidance of his father. After his early education, he was enrolled in a school in the village of Chunta, present-day Sarail upazila of Brahmanbaria. He didn’t stay long there. He was the fourth among five brothers. Rebati later studied at Pogose School in Dhaka and Government High School in Comilla. Even as a school student, he joined the Non-Cooperation and Swadeshi movements against British rule.

Like many student activists of the time, he was targeted with arrest warrants due to his anti-British involvement. He had to switch schools several times to evade arrest. In 1922, he enrolled at Azimuddin High School in Kishoreganj, which was then under the University of Calcutta. There, he astonished many by ranking first in the entrance exam across Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, and Assam.

He then moved to Calcutta for higher studies, funding his education by tutoring other students. The boarding house where he lived gradually became a hub for revolutionaries. He completed his I.A. from Presidency College and his B.A. from St. Paul’s College. For his excellence in the B.A. exam, he received the prestigious Jagattarini Gold Medal. He used the prize money to launch a youth magazine called Benu, collaborating with fellow students Shovonlal and Mohanlal Gangopadhyay of the Tagore family. The first issue of Benu featured a blessing-filled poem by Rabindranath Tagore:
"When the birds fall silent at noon,
O shepherd, play your flute alone."

Rebati Mohan realized that if the Communist Party were to deeply resonate with the hearts and minds of common people in Bangladesh, Marxist ideology had to be communicated clearly and accessibly in the Bengali language. Dedicating himself full-time to this mission, he helped publish pamphlets and booklets through Dhaka’s Ganasahitya Chakra, Kolkata’s National Book Agency, and his own Barman Publishing House.

He wrote 18 booklets, beginning with Tarun-Rus (Young Russia), most of which focused on Marxist theory and its application. The 118-page book presents the stages of revolutionary development in Russia—beginning with the Tsarist regime, leading up to the revolution, and offering insights into post-revolutionary governance, economics, and foreign policy. Tarun-Rus, first published in 1929 by Brojendra Bihari Barman Rai under Barman Publishing House, remains a significant document on the Russian Revolution even a century later. It was printed at Mahamaya Press, 193 Cornwallis Street, and priced at just one taka.

Rebati Barman’s political activism began in his school years. Inspired by the ideals of revolutionary Trailokyanath Maharaj, he gravitated toward Marxist philosophy and joined an armed revolutionary group fighting for India’s independence. He became a member of the Shree Sangha in Dhaka and was active in Kolkata, Bankura, and Birbhum. In August 1930, an attempt was made on the life of police commissioner Charles Tegart in Dalhousie Square, Kolkata. That very evening, Rebati Barman was arrested under the notorious Bengal Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1925.

On September 1 of the same year, he was formally detained and spent eight years in various Indian jails and detention camps without trial. He was finally released unconditionally on July 21, 1938. That same year, his family established a primary school in his village to educate children, which later became Shimulkandi Government Primary School. Due to his leprosy, Rebati Barman taught students while hiding behind partitions in his home to avoid direct contact.

He read extensively on Marxism during his years in jail, especially during his time in the Deoli Detention Camp. After his release, he abandoned armed revolution and embraced the philosophy of egalitarianism. He then committed himself to spreading Marxist-Leninist ideology and became actively involved in the labor and peasant movements. While living in Belgharia, 24 Parganas, he worked to organize labor movements.

During World War II, he was once again targeted by police and forced to leave West Bengal. He returned to his ancestral village, Shimulkandi. It was during his time in Belgharia that the symptoms of leprosy appeared, eventually rendering him unable to continue political work. From 1947 to 1951, he lived in Bhairab. However, in the post-Partition communal climate of Pakistan, religious extremists incited the local population against him, leading to widespread negative propaganda.

As a result, Rebati Barman was compelled to leave his beloved birthplace in 1951 and relocate to Agartala, India. There, on May 6, 1952, he passed away. Today marks the anniversary of the death of this lifelong revolutionary. He is remembered with boundless respect.

Shahadat Hossain Towhid: journalist.