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Ashok Mitra

アショク・ミトラ

Ashok Mitra

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1928-04-10 （Dacca (Dacca/Dhaka), East Bengal, British Raj）
Died
2018-05-01 （Kolkata, West Bengal, India） age 90
Nationality
India
Languages
Bengali, English
Residence History
Dacca (birth and early life) → Banaras/Varanasi (studies) → Netherlands (Erasmus University Rotterdam / study) → Delhi (academic and professional work) → Bangkok (UN assignment) → Kolkata (later life)

Career

Occupations
economist, politician, professor, essayist, columnist
Active Years
1950-2018
Affiliations
Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM Calcutta), Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta (CSSSC), Agricultural Prices Commission (Government of India), Rajya Sabha (Parliament of India)
Memberships
Associated with Communist Party of India (Marxist) - political involvement, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (tenure)
Influenced By
Jan Tinbergen, Marxist economic theory / Karl Marx
Influenced
Later Indian economists and left intellectuals (specific names not listed)

Education

University of Dacca (Dhaka University)
Economics
Degree: BA
Period: 〜1947
Year of Graduation: 1947
Country: British India (now Bangladesh)
Graduated prior to Partition
Banaras Hindu University
Economics
Degree: M.A.
Period: 1948–1950
Year of Graduation: 1950
Country: India
Earned M.A. in Economics
Delhi School of Economics
Postgraduate Economics (attended)
Period: 1950年代初期
Country: India
Attended postgraduate classes; later completed PhD in Netherlands
Erasmus University Rotterdam (supervised by Jan Tinbergen)
PhD in Economics
Degree: PhD
Period: 1951–1953
Year of Graduation: 1953
Country: Netherlands
Completed doctorate under Jan Tinbergen
Institute of Social Studies (The Netherlands)
International Development / Social Studies
Country: Netherlands
Attended additional studies/training

Awards

Sahitya Akademi Award
1996
Work: Tal Betal (essays)
Organization: Sahitya Akademi (India)
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Tal Betal

1996 Essays

A collection of essays on politics, society and culture centred on Calcutta, combining sharp political-economic analysis with personal recollections. Awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1996.

urban societyclass and economic analysispolitical critique

From the Ramparts, Prattler's Tale: Recollections of a Contrary Marxist

Memoir / Essays

A memoir recounting his political career and academic experiences. Also published in Bengali as 'Apila Chapala'.

recollectionMarxismpolitical thought
Translations
  • Bengali edition 'Apila Chapala'

China - Issues in Development

Scholarly work

A scholarly examination of China's development process, discussed from perspectives of international development and trade relations.

economic developmentinternational tradepolicy analysis

Bibliography

  • Tal Betal (essays)
  • From the Ramparts, Prattler's Tale: Recollections of a Contrary Marxist (memoir)
  • China - Issues in Development (scholarly)
  • Short stories and essays in Bengali

Translations of Works

  • Apila Chapala (Bengali edition of his memoir)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
analytical, essayistic stylecontains irony and caustic commentaryblends academic theory with personal recollection
Recurring Motifs
class struggle and economic structuresobservations of Calcutta (urban life)intersection of politics and everyday life

Legacy

Ashok Mitra made significant contributions to Indian political-economic debate as an economist and left intellectual. He was also recognized for his essays and memoirs, receiving literary honors such as the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1996.

Archives

  • Papers likely held/archived at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta (CSSSC)

Quotes

  • I have always considered myself a 'contrary Marxist.'
    Source: From the Ramparts (memoir)

Trivia

  • Founded the journal 'Arek Rakam'.
  • His wife Gouri died in May 2008 at age 79.
  • Won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1996 for 'Tal Betal'.