Women s Role in Tebhaga Movement

Peter Custers The Tebhaga movement erupted in 1946 in Bengal on the eve of the withdrawal of the British. Although the tide of Tebhaga receded as fast as it rose, the uprising stands out as one of the most important political events in twentieth century Bengal. Among the unique features of the movement is the large-scale participation of women on par with men. The landless and poor peasant women formed fighting troops called nari bahini and took a front rank role in defending the gains of the movement and in countering the repression of the state.