Vishnu Damodar Chitale (1906–1961) was an Indian freedom fighter, nationalist and prominent leader of the Communist Party of India in Poona city.[1] He was a staunch opponent of British imperialism in India. He was also a Sanskrit scholar.[2]

V.D. Chitale
Member of the Bombay Legislative Assembly
In office
1957–1962
Succeeded byBaburao Narayanrao Sanas
ConstituencyKasba Peth
Personal details
Born
Vishnu Damodar Chitale

4 January 1906
Died1961
Political partyCommunist Party of India

Chitale was born on 4 January 1906.[3] Better known as 'Bhai Chitale', he completed his B.A. in 1929 from Pune. He could not complete his Masters of Law degree; as he focused his attention on national movements. He participated in the freedom struggle orchestrated by the Congress and came into contact with Marxist literature. He become a member of the Communist Party but continued to participate in the Congress movements. He gave priority to the work of the interest of farmers and labourers. He took an active part in the Salt Satyagraha. He was also elected a member of the All India Congress Committee.[4] At the 1940 Ramgarh session of the Indian National Congress, Chitale and fellow communist delegate K.M. Ashraf proposed an amendment to the main resolution, calling for 'immediate launching of the struggle' for independence and rejecting any compromise with British rule.[5]

Chitale led the third 1955 satyagrah to Goa, leading a thousand volunteers in a march to demand integration of Portuguese-controlled Goa with India.[6][7][8][9] Portuguese military forces opened fire, injuring Chitale among many others.[9][10]

Chitale was elected to the Bombay Legislative Assembly in the 1957 election, from the Kasba Peth constituency.[11] He was part of the Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti bloc in the Legislative Assembly.[1] He died in 1961.[3][1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c V. M. Sirsikar (1965). Political Behaviour in India: A Case Study of the 1962 General Elections. Manaktalas. pp. 51, 117.
  2. ^ Communist Party of India. Congress (1964). Proceedings of the ... Congress of the Communist Party of India. The Party. p. 210.
  3. ^ a b Library of Congress (1965). Subject Catalog. The Library. p. 167.
  4. ^ Leeladhar Sharma 'Parvatiya' (2009). Bharitya Charit Kosh. Shiksha Bharti, Madrasa Road, Kashmere Gate, Delhi. p. 801. ISBN 9788174831002.
  5. ^ Marshall Windmiller (2011). Communism in India. University of California Press. pp. 182–. GGKEY:NSY99CAKNFU.
  6. ^ Leo Lawrence (1963). Nehru Seizes Goa. Pageant Press. p. 74.
  7. ^ Rajan Narayan (2012). Sampoorna Swaraj: The Story of Goa's Liberation Struggle, 1928-1961. Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Goa. p. 51. ISBN 9788192027135.
  8. ^ Current Events. July 1960. p. 58.
  9. ^ a b Pandurang Ganapati Patil (2002). The Bountiful Banyan: A Biography of Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil. Macmillan India. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-333-93689-4.
  10. ^ Goa Today. Goa Publications. 1980. p. 13.
  11. ^ India. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (1957). India, a Reference Annual. Research and Reference Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 596.