B. T. Ranadive

Bhalchandra Trimbak Ranadive (19 December 1904 – 6 April 1990), popularly known as BTR was an Indian communist politician and trade union leader.

B. T. Ranadive
BTR (right) with AKG
BTR memorial in Allepey
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BTR completed his studies in 1927, obtaining an M.A. degree with distinction. In 1928 he joined the clandestine Communist Party of India. In the same year he became a major leader of the All India Trade Union Congress in Bombay. He was active with the Girini Kamgar Union of the textile workers in Bombay and with the struggles of the railway workers. He became the secretary of the GIP Railwaymen’s Union. In 1939, he married Vimal, a trade union activist.

In 1943 he was elected to the central committee of the party. In February 1946 BTR played a major role in organizing a general strike in support of the Naval ratings revolt.

At its 2nd Party Congress held in Calcutta in February, 1948 the party elected BTR in place of P.C. Joshi as its general secretary.[1] BTR was the general secretary of CPI 1948-1950. During that period the party was engaged in revolutionary uprisings, such as the Telangana armed struggle. In 1950 BTR was deposed, and denounced by the party as a "left adventurist".

In 1956, at the 4th Party Congress in Palghat BTR was again included in the Central Committee. He became a leading figure of the leftist section of the CC.

BTR Bhavan, Kerala

At the time of the Indo-China border conflict in 1962, BTR was one of many prominent communist leaders jailed by the government. In 1964 he became one of the main leaders of Communist Party of India (Marxist).

At the founding conference of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions in Calcutta May 28–31 1970, BTR was elected president. The central building of CITU in New Delhi is named after him, BTR Bhavan.

He was elder brother of Ahilya Rangnekar, a CPI-M leader and 6th Lok Sabha member from Mumbai North Central (Lok Sabha constituency). They belonged to a Marathi Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu(CKP) family but BTR, a brilliant student, would teach Dalit students in his spare time. BTR's legacy as a Communist leader is documented in the collaborative autobiography - 'Basu Acharya o Randive' ghost written by Jyoti Basu. Comrade Randive’s son is settled in the United States of America, and is married to an American lady. His nephew, Vivek Ranadivé is also settled in the USA, and is the multimillionaire co-owner of the Sacramento Kings basketball team.[2][3][4][5]

Notes
  1. Chandra, Bipan & others (2000). India after Independence 1947-2000, New Delhi: Penguin, ISBN 0-14-027825-7, p.204
  2. "Red Salute To Comrade Ahilya". People's Democracy(weekly)-Vol. XXXIII,No. 16, April 26, 2009. Ahilya Rangnekar was born in Pune in 1922 in a Chandrasena Kayastha Prabhu family. Her father Trimbak Ranadive was deeply influenced by the social reformers of his times...(she was a trained classical singer, and had a lovely voice which she had often used in street performances to sell the Party paper on Bombay’s streets along with her more well-known brother, the radical communist leader and trade union fighter, B T Ranadive Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  3. "sactown magazine". She strongly believed that Ranadivés had an obligation to fight for social justice because of their caste (the Hindu designation of social rank). The family is Kshatriya—born to be warriors and rulers Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  4. "Silicon Valley hotshot scripts NBA plan for India". Finally, when asked about his memories of his grand uncle, the late Indian communist leader BT Ranadivé, he says laughing, "I know he wanted to make people's lives better, which is what I also want to do, but in a different way."
  5. Parvati Menon (2004). Breaking Barriers: Stories of Twelve Women. LeftWord Books. p. 10. My family was from the Chandrasena Kayastha Prabhu community, popularly called the CKP community, from which a large number of the social reformers came." Ahilya recalls an event that took place in Malad, where a big satyagraha was organized against untouchability. "My father, although a government servant, gave this campaign all his support.My brother B.T. Ranadive, who was a brilliant student, used to tutor dalit boys when he was at University,...
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