{{short description|Indian Politician (1911–1990)}} {{Use Indian English|date=February 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = | native_name = | native_name_lang = bn | image = Saroj Mukherjee.jpg | caption = | party = Indian National Congress (1924–1931); Communist Party of India (1931–1964); Communist Party of India (Marxist) (1964–1990) | spouse = {{Marriage|Kanak Mukherjee|1941}} | birth_date = {{birth date|1911|1|14|df=y}} | birth_place = Bahadurpur, Bengal Presidency, British India | death_place = | death_date = {{death date and age|1990|2|10|1911|1|14|df=y}} | successor1 = Sailen Dasgupta | constituency1 = | term3 = 1971 – 1977 | term1 = 1982 – 1990 | term2 = 1982 – 1990 | successor3 = Dhirendra Nath Basu | predecessor2 = Promode Dasgupta | successor2 = Sailen Dasgupta | predecessor3 = D. Sen | office = Member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) | term_start = 1985 | term_end = 1990 | predecessor1 = Promode Dasgupta | office3 = Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | office1 = Chairman of the Left Front | office2 = West Bengal State Secretary of the CPI(M) | constituency3 = Katwa }}

'''Saroj Mukherjee''' (14 January 1911 – 9 February 1990) was an Indian freedom fighter and a member of the Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He was also the secretary of the West Bengal state committee of the Communist party.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Ahmed, Farzand |title=In transition: With the death of Saroj Mukherjee, growth of CPI(M) may not be so smooth |date=15 March 1990|newspaper=India Today |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19900315-with-the-death-of-saroj-mukherjee-growth-of-cpim-may-not-be-so-smooth-812400-1990-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108095044/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/with-the-death-of-saroj-mukherjee-growth-of-cpim-may-not-be-so-smooth/1/314898.html |archive-date=8 November 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Early life == He was born in Bahadurpur, Paschim Bardhaman in erstwhile Bengal Presidency of British India (now in West Bengal, India). His father was Shikkhabroti Trilochan. He joined political activities from the beginning of 1920s. In 1928 he passed Matriculation from Burdwan Municipal High School. He passed I.Sc. from Serampore College with scholarship.

As a student at the age of thirteen, Mukherjee joined the Indian freedom movement, joining the Indian National Congress party in 1924 along with his friend Benoy Chowdhury. He also joined the Jugantar group in 1928. While studying in Serampore College, he and Benoy Chowdhury became acquainted with Dr. Bhupendranath Datta and Communist leaders Muzaffar Ahmed and Abdul Halim.

== Political activities == In 1930, he participated in the Salt March and was jailed. After being released, he got admitted in Vidyasagar College. He was again arrested before he could sit for his B.A. examination. While in jail he passed B.A. and studied for M.A. and law. He was released from jail in 1938.

He joined the Communist Party of India in 1931 and went to work for them full-time in 1938.<ref name="Saroj Mukherjee Remembrance">{{cite news|title=Saroj Mukherjee Remembrance|newspaper=Ganashakti|url=http://ganashakti.tripod.com/archive/saroj.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630095204/http://ganashakti.tripod.com/archive/saroj.htm |archive-date=30 June 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[File:Abdul Halim, Saroj Mukherjee, Muzaffar Ahmed1938.jpg|left|thumb|278x278px|(From left to right) Abdul Halim, Saroj Mukherjee, Muzaffar Ahmed at Bengal Provincial Conference (1938 December - 1939 January) of CPI at Chandarnagore.|alt=]]

In 1941, Saroj Mukherjee married Kanak Dasgupta,<ref>{{cite web|title=A Pioneer Of The Women's Movement|url=http://pd.cpim.org/2005/0320/03202005_kanakdi-2.htm|website=pd.cpim.org|access-date=29 March 2012|archive-date=19 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090619110441/http://pd.cpim.org/2005/0320/03202005_kanakdi-2.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> who was also a Communist leader.<ref>{{cite web|title=Remembering Kanak Mukherjee |url=http://www.sacw.net/Wmov/OnKakanDi10032005.html |website=www.sacw.net|access-date=29 March 2012}}</ref>

From 1939 to 1943, he was the Kolkata District Committee Secretary of CPI. From 1943 to 1948 and 1951 to 1962, he was a member of Bengal State Committee of CPI.

Mukherjee was the editor of the Bengali daily ''Swadhinata'' from 1956 to 1962.<ref name="Saroj Mukherjee Remembrance" /> Later, he was the first editor and publisher of CPI(M)'s newspaper ''Ganashakti'',<ref>{{Cite news|title=The Working Classes' Mouthpiece, Ganashakti turns 48 |date=3 January 2014 |newspaper=Ganashakti |url=http://ganashakti.com/english/news/details/4023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304130313/http://ganashakti.com/english/news/details/4023 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> which position he held until his death.<ref name="Saroj Mukherjee Remembrance" /> He was one of the founder-members of CPI(M), when CPI got divided in 1964. He was a member of the Central Committee of CPI(M) from 1978 until his death. He was elected from Katwa (Lok Sabha constituency) in Barddhaman in 1971. After the death of Pramode Dasgupta in 1982, he became the West Bengal State Secretary of CPI(M). In 1985 he became a Politburo member of CPI(M).

Several books were written by him including:

* ''Trade Union-er gorar kotha'' * ''1905 saler rush biplob'' * ''Swadhinatar Juge Rangpur'' * ''Trade Union Andoloner Notun Dhara'' * ''Tinti Dashak'' * ''Dui Pathikrit'' * ''Duiti Smaraniyo Din'' * ''Rajniti o Sangbadikota'' * ''Bharater Communist Party o Amra''

He died on 10 February 1990.

==See also== *Communist Party of India (Marxist) *Kanak Mukherjee

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mukherjee, Saroj}} Category:Bengali Hindus Category:1990 deaths Category:Communist Party of India (Marxist) politicians from West Bengal Category:Politicians from Kolkata Category:1911 births Category:India MPs 1971–1977 Category:Lok Sabha members from West Bengal Category:Politicians from Purba Bardhaman district Category:20th-century Bengali people Category:Indian newspaper editors Category:Indian political writers Category:Indian Marxist writers Category:Indian Marxist journalists Category:Indian communist writers Category:20th-century Indian journalists Category:Indian political journalists Category:Bengali-language writers Category:20th-century Indian male journalists