Brinda Karat

Brinda Karat Biography

Brinda Karat is a popular political figure of Communist Party of India (Marxist) from West Bengal. She is the wife of Prakash Karat, famous Bengali political leader and General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). In 2005, she became the first woman member of the CPI (M) Politburo and has been elected to the Rajya Sabha in the year 2005. She has also served as the general secretary of the All India Democratic Women's Association from 1993 to 2004 and later its Vice President position. Radhika Roy is her sister who is married to Prannoy Roy and both are related to media.

Brinda was born in Kolkata on 17 October 1947 to Oshrukona Mitra and Sooraj Lal Das. She has 4 siblings and her childhood days were spent at Kolkata. She lost her mother at the age of 5. Her school life was spent at prestigious Welham Girls School in Dehradun. She graduated from Miranda House of Delhi University and she left for London, where she worked with Air India at Bond Street for four years. She quit her air hostess job in 1971 and returned to Kolkata and joined Communist party. Later she completed post-graduation in History from University of Kolkata.

Once she joined the party, she worked as student activist. Initially she worked with students in the college campus. Slowly she became a full time worker for the party. In 1975, she moved to Delhi where she started working as a trade union organiser with textile mill workers in North Delhi. Slowly she became one of the influential figures of both women and worker’s movements. She has authored one book titled - Survival and Emancipation: Notes from Indian Women's Struggles.

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Updated: June 13, 2018