MANIBEN  KARA  (1905-1979) 

                      A  VETERAN  LABOUR  LEADER AND COMMITTED RADICAL HUMANIST

                                                                                                                                                         Narisetti Innaiah

Mani ben kara was great follower of M N Roy. When Roy arrived at Bombay in 1930 from Europe, Vasant B Karnik and Mani ben Kara were the two labor leaders who received him and put in a secret place to avoid arrest from British police. (Roy had established émigré Communist Party of India on 17 October,1920 in Tashkent  with Mohd. Shafique  Siddiqui as its Secretary. Roy had also been smuggling communist literature and promoting  formation of communist groups in various parts of India with the ostensible purpose of  supplanting  British rule with communist methodology. A sedition case under section 124-A Indian Penal Code, popularly known as ‘Kanpur Communist Conspiracy case’  was launched in 1924 in which many communist  activists  like Muzaffar Ahmad, Shaukat Usmani, S.A.Dange, Nalini Gupta were charged,  arrested and  were convicted. Roy was accused No.1 in that case but could not be arrested as he was outside India.  Large numbers, mostly Muslims, were also arrested under Peshawar communist conspiracy cases (1922-1927)  and  later on in Meerut communist conspiracy case (1929)  wherein also Roy had been shown the prominent instigator. Roy had returned to India knowing fully well that he would be arrested but that did not deter him.. He was  ultimately arrested in 1931 and imprisoned for six years.)

Maniben was born  in 1905 in Mumbai, in a middle class family., Maniben Kara studied  at St. Columba High School, Gamdevi, Mumbai and secured a diploma in Social science from the University of Birmingham U.K.. Returning to India in 1929, she got involved with the Independence movement, founded Seva Mandir and a printing press. Later When Roy started   Independent India, it was Maniben who undertook to print it., . Maniben  was  influenced by Narayan Malhar Joshi, one of the early leaders of the All India Trade Union Congress, and started involving in trade union activism. She worked in the   slums of Mumbai, the dwelling place of labor.. She established a Mothers’ Club and a Healthcare Centre and spread the message of hygiene and literacy among the slum dwellers.

She  organized workers’ unions at Mumbai port and dockyard which later expanded to cover the  textile workers. She joined the All India Trade Union Congress,  and led several labour strikes which led to her arrest and solitary confinement in 1932. She continued her activities through the days of Indian freedom struggle and was nominated to the Central Legislative Assembly in 1946, entrusted with the responsibility of the labour ministry. Post Independence, she was a key member when the Hind Mazdoor Sabha was formed in 1948 and was also involved with the All India Railwaymen’s Federation and was its former president. She was also a founding member of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and was involved with government committees such as National Committee on the Status of Women and other government initiatives.

Maniben Kara, was honoured by the Government of India with the civilian award of Padma Shri in 1970. Nine years later, she died, at the age of 74. Hind Mazdoor Sabha honoured her by establishing an institute in her name, the Maniben Kara Institute (MKI), in 1980. The Western Railways Union started a trust in her honour, the Maniben Kara Foundation,and maintains the Maniben Kara Foundation Hall, in Grant Road area in Mumbai

Maniben visited Hyderabad during 1974 along with Gowri Bazaz Malik . I took her to Justice Avula Sambasivarao and his daughter Manjulatha in Malakpet, Hyderabad.Maniben visited old city of Hyderabad and curiously observed Hyderabadi culture, antiques etc.

Maniben dreamt of a society that has its basis on equity and justice. Maniben was an eloquent speaker with command over Gujarati, Marathi, Hindi and English. 

On behalf of M N Roy  she participated in international labor conference in London.

 In 1931 she met Lucy Gesler who landed in Mumbai on a ship from Switzerland. Maniben rescued her from British spies and took her to M.N.Roy in secret. But soon British government smelt the secret and sent her back

In Bombay Maniben worked with G D Parekh, Indumati Parekh, J B H Wadia and galaxy of other radicals. She did not marry. .

Maniben died in 1979.

         She is a great inspiration for those who aspire for a democratic and  humanist  society.