Moni Singh got involved in his school days in Kolkata with revolutionary activities. He joined the secret Aushilon Samity and waged armed struggle against British imperialism. In 1921, an arrest warrant was issued against him. While living in hiding, he was indoctrinated with the idea of communism. In 1925 he joined the Indian Communist Party at the very seminal stage of the communist movement.
The spirit of ‘Khelafat Movement’ and ‘Non-Cooperation Movement’ against British Raj highly influenced young Moni Singh. Consequently, he became one of those young revolutionaries who took the risk of life to free the country from British colonialism.
The British government of that time declared arrest warrant against Moni Singh and other revolutionaries. At that time this type of arrest warrant was equivalent of capital punishment since the British colonial rulers considered that democratic struggle for freedom equivalent to treason. Bearing this arrest warrant young Moni Singh continued tireless political campaign all over the country for freedom and self-determination.
In 1921 he simultaneously organized peasant movement in his own locality of Susong Durgapur and labor movement in Kolkata.
In 1928 Moni Singh dedicated himself as a full-time activist of the Communist Party and closely involved with trade union movement in Kolkata. His vibrant role in this struggle made him an enemy of the ruling class and he was imprisoned for five years in 9th May of 1930. He was released from jail in 1935 but remained house-arrest till 1937 in his maternal home Susong Durgapur.
Being an outstanding leader of oppressed people Moni Singh never stopped, during his captive-time in Susong Durgapur he again started mobilizing peasants and Khetmajur(agricultural workers) to protect their rights. This time his maternal uncles, who were jamindar (land lord) of Susong Durgapur became his opposition.
Despite strong obstacle from own family revolutionary Moni Singh courageously stood for the just cause of rural poor. This made him a well-known peasant’s leader of that area. During that time he again imprisoned for one and half years for demanding proper price of Jute.
He was given the membership of the Communist Party after his release from jail in 1937. Then he decided to restart trade union movement in Kolkata but indigenous communities of Susong Durgapur like ‘Garo’ and ‘Hajong’ seriously requested him not to move Kolkata but to start a movement against ‘Tonk System’ (a coercive taxation on peasants by local landlords).
Comrade Moni Singh could not ignore this appeal from the rural poor. He wholeheartedly concentrated his activity on ‘anti-Tonk movement’ and became the unanimous leader of this movement. When this movement went its peak level Moni Singh was again arrested in 1941.
In 1944 he was elected as member of the presidium of the All Bengal Kishan Shava (National Peasant Association). In 1945, as a Chairman of reception committee of All India Kishan Shava Conference in Netrokona he played a significant role to enhance peasant movement of undivided Bengal. Renowned politicians Comrade Mujaffor Ahamed, Comrade Har Kishan Sing Sujeet, Lily Jogi and many other leaders participated in this conference.
British colonialism defeated but left behind its residuals, from that debris communalism erupted and so-called two-nation theory evolved, which realized by the creation religion based Pakistan. Moni Singh and many of his fellow comrades did not accept so-called ‘two nation theory’.
They continued the struggle for secularism an socialism. Consequently, Pakistani authority declared Communist Party and him outlaw and issued an arrest warrant. Also declared Tk. 10,000 as prize money for arresting Comrade Moni Singh.
This difficulty compelled Moni Singh to remain underground and thus he had to stay underground about 20 years since the inception of Pakistan.
Despite this repression, Comrade Moni Singh played a pivotal role against Pakistani military autocratic regime. In this tougher period in 1951 banned Communist Party held its 2nd National Conference and Moni Singh elected as General Secretary and subsequently in 3rd Conference he again reelected at the same position.
In 1968 he was arrested by Pakistani authority and released in 1969 by the mass upsurge but again arrested in the same year. When the Liberation war began in 1971 prisoners broke Rajshahi jail and freed Comrade Moni Singh.
At the time of Liberation war, Comrade Moni Singh organized freedom fighters, established special Guerilla Force of NAP-CPB and Chattra Union. He also made remarkable contribution to organizing support from the Soviet Union and Socialist countries in favor of our liberation war of 1971. He was elected as Advisor of the then Mujib Nagar government.
In the Independent Bangladesh, he continued the struggle for establishing democracy and exploitation-free society. For this reason, he criticized some wrong policies of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahaman which practically benefited reactionary forces. Comrade Moni Singh was elected as the President of the Communist Party of Bangladesh in 2nd Congress (national conference) in 1973 and subsequently in 3rd Congress in 1980.
After the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahaman the Communist Party was declared illegal by the military government and during the military rule of Lt. Gen. Ziaur Rahman in the middle of 1977 Comrade Moni Singh was again arrested at the age of 77. This legendary revolutionary was politically active up to the age of 84. In 23rd February of 1984, he became seriously sick and leave his last breath in 31st December of 1990.
Life of this revolutionary is yet a strong source of inspiration for all patriots of this country. His whole life is full of sacrifice and love for oppressed people. From British to Bangladeshi rulers, no rulers spared him. In spite of this severe repression, no one can sever patriotism from his struggling life.