The Tebhaga Movement was a significant agrarian struggle that emerged in Bengal, India, during the late 1940s. It aimed to address the exploitative sharecropping system prevalent in the region, where sharecroppers (tenants) were subjected to oppressive terms by landowners.
Named after the demand for a 2/3 share of the produce (Tebhaga meaning “two-thirds”), the movement sought to increase the sharecroppers’ portion of the agricultural output, challenging the traditional 50-50 sharecropping arrangement.
Led by the Kisan Sabha, the peasant wing of the Communist Party of India (CPI), the movement gained momentum in the aftermath of independence and the partition of Bengal in 1947. Sharecroppers, predominantly from the lower castes and landless sections, actively participated in protests, demonstrations, and agrarian strikes to assert their rights.
The movement faced severe repression from landlords and the state authorities, leading to violent clashes and casualties. However, the resilience and solidarity of the sharecroppers, coupled with widespread support from leftist organizations and sympathizers, sustained the movement.
Ultimately, the Tebhaga Movement achieved limited success in some regions, with landowners conceding to slightly higher shares for sharecroppers. However, the movement’s broader goal of fundamentally transforming agrarian relations remained largely unfulfilled.
Despite its limitations, the Tebhaga Movement laid the groundwork for future agrarian struggles in India, highlighting the deep-rooted inequalities and injustices inherent in the rural economy. It also underscored the importance of collective action, class solidarity, and grassroots mobilization in challenging oppressive systems and advocating for social and economic justice.