Shantisudha Ghosh
Shantisudha Ghosh (27 June 1907 – 7 May 1992) was an Indian politician, writer, and teacher who shaped early 20th‑century revolutionary thinking. An admirer of Aurobindo Ghosh, she believed in blending political action with deeper spiritual ideas. She was the sister of Debaprasad Ghosh, founder of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI), and she later became the founder principal of Hooghly Women’s College.
She was born in Alokananda village, Barishal (now in Bangladesh), to Kshetranath Ghosh, a professor. She studied at Brahmo Balika Bidyalaya and earned a BA in 1928 and an MA in 1930 from Calcutta University, winning Ishan and First Class honors in mathematics.
Her politics differed from her brother’s, but she did not abandon her revolutionary goals. She admired Aurobindo’s blend of revolution and spiritual practice and was drawn to secretive social work. She respected Gandhi but did not fully embrace his non‑violent method, preferring active revolutionary activity.
In 1930 she organized Shakti Vahini in Barishal, a women’s group to prepare women as a force for revolution, inspired by Satin Sen’s Tarun Samgha. She taught at several colleges, including Victoria Institution in Calcutta, Mohammad Mohsin College in Hooghly, and Barishal Braja Mohan College, while remaining deeply involved in political life.
Her activities brought police attention. She was arrested in 1934 in Calcutta and interned in Barishal, released on health grounds in 1937, and later aligned with Gandhian agitation. She was jailed again in 1942–43, then worked in famine relief. In 1947 she escaped to West Bengal, continuing her life there.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 04:27 (CET).