Kanai Pal

Kanai Pal was an Indian Trotskyist politician. A labour leader active in Santipur, West Bengal, he represented the area in the state legislature 1962–1969.

Independence struggle As a politician, Pal was known to be self-sacrificing and sincere. Pal took part in the struggle for Indian independence and was convicted during the 1942 Quit India movement. He played a leading role in sabotage action group in Nadia District. In one confrontation during the August Revolution his spinal cord was badly injured. He finished in fourth place with 2,920 votes (6.9%). Pal's Santipur-based faction merged into the United Marxist League in 1954, which soon renamed itself as the Communist League. In 1958 the Communist League merged into the Revolutionary Workers Party. The RWP merged into the Dasgupta-led RCPI in 1960. In 1962 he ran as an independent. Soon after being elected, on 6 November 1962 he was jailed under the West Bengal Security Act. He was again arrested in 1965, under the Defense of India Rules. In December 1965 the Fourth International Congress elected Pal, along with other jailed Trotskyist leaders as member of its 'honorary presidium'.

In 1967 he contested on a Communist Party of India (Marxist) ticket.

Later years In the 1969 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election Pal ran as an independent in Santipur, against the official RCPI candidate M. Mokshed Ali. He finished in third place with 3289 votes (7.15%). He finished in fourth place with 2,920 votes (6.9%).

Pal died, having suffered from kidney failure, anemia, high blood pressure and paralysis.