Geeta Mukherjee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Geeta Mukherjee
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| Member of the Indian Parliament for Panskura |
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| In office 16 January 1980 – 4 March 2000 |
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| Preceded by | Abha Maiti |
| Succeeded by | Bikram Sarkar |
| MLA | |
| In office 1967–1977 |
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| Preceded by | Rajani Kanta Pramanik |
| Succeeded by | Swadesh Ranjan Maji |
| Constituency | Panskura Purba |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Geeta Roy Chowdhury
8 January 1924 Jessore, Bengal Province, British India |
| Died | 4 March 2000 (aged 76) New Delhi, India |
| Political party | Communist Party of India |
| Spouse | Biswanath Mukherjee
Children - Bhagabat Jana Grandchildren - Madhumita Jana |
| Residences | Flat-12, Block-D, 18, Bow Street, Calcutta-700012 Bow Bazar, Kolkata |
| Alma mater | University of Calcutta Ashutosh College (B.A.) |
| Profession | Politician, social worker, writer |
Geeta Mukherjee (born January 8, 1924 – died March 4, 2000) was an important Indian politician and social worker. She was elected many times to different government roles. She served as a MLA (a state-level lawmaker) for Panskura Purba four times, from 1967 to 1977. Later, she became a Member of Parliament (a national-level lawmaker) for the Panskura area. She was elected seven times to the Indian Parliament from 1980 to 2000. Geeta Mukherjee was a member of the Communist Party of India (CPI). She also led the National Federation of Indian Women, which is the women's group of the Communist Party of India. She was famous for leading the effort to set aside one-third of seats in parliament for women.
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Geeta Mukherjee's Early Life
Geeta Mukherjee was born on January 8, 1924, in Kolkata, which was then called Calcutta, in West Bengal. She got married to Biswanath Mukherjee on November 8, 1942.
She studied at Ashutosh College in Kolkata and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Bengali Literature. While she was a student, she was very active. She served as the secretary of the Bengal Provincial Students Federation from 1947 to 1951. This shows she was involved in public life from a young age.
Her Work as a Politician
Geeta Mukherjee started her political journey early. In 1946, she was chosen as a Member of the State Council for the Communist Party of India (CPI) in Bengal. People often called her Geetadi, which means "elder sister Geeta" in Bengali. She was a very popular leader.
She won every Lok Sabha election from Panskura in West Bengal until she passed away in 2000. The Lok Sabha is one of the two houses of the Indian Parliament.
Her Role in Parliament
Geeta Mukherjee was first elected to the 7th Lok Sabha in 1980. During her time there, from 1980 to 1984, she worked on several important committees:
- Member, Committee on Public Undertakings
- Member, Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
- Member, Joint Committee on Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 1980
From 1981 onwards, she was also a Member of the National Executive Council of the Communist Party of India. This shows her important role within her political party.
She was elected for her seventh term in the 13th Lok Sabha in 1999. Her political career lasted for about 55 years! She was known for her dedication and hard work.
Fighting for Women's Rights
Geeta Mukherjee became very well-known for her efforts to get more women into politics. She strongly supported the idea of reserving one-third of the seats in parliament for women. This issue brought her a lot of attention.
She was also a member of several important groups that worked for people's welfare. These included the National Commission on Rural Labour and the National Commission on Women. She was also part of the National Children's Board and the Press Council. She served as the vice-president of the National Federation of Women. On an international level, she was a secretariat member of the Women's International Democratic Federation in Berlin.
Her Books for Children
Besides her busy political life, Geeta Mukherjee also found time to write. She wrote several books, especially for children. Some of her books include:
- Bharat Upakatha (which means Folktales of India)
- Chotoder Rabindranath (which means Tagore for Children)
- He Atit Katha Kao
She also translated a famous German novel called Naked Among Wolves by Bruno Apitz into Bengali.
Remembering Geeta Mukherjee
Geeta Mukherjee passed away on March 4, 2000, after having a heart attack. She was 76 years old at the time.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was the Prime Minister of India then, sent his condolences. He said that Mrs. Mukherjee showed great determination and dedication. He called her a wonderful example of women's empowerment. He also said that her life would continue to inspire future generations, especially women.
