Surya Singh Besra is a political activist and prominent political leader. He is the founder secretary of All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) and Jharkhand People's Party (JPP). He was a member of the 10th Bihar Legislative Assembly, elected from the Ghatshila constituency in 1990. He is popularly known for Jharkhand statehood movement.
Surya Singh Besra (born 1955 or 1956) was born at Barakanjia, Dumaria, then in Singhbhum district of Bihar (now East Singhbhum district, Jharkhand), in a Santali ethnolinguistic Mahali family. His father was Sawna Besra, who worked as government employee. He attended Parulia Primary School near his village and Astokoshi High School, Bhalukpatra, completing matriculation under the Bihar School Examination Board. He graduated from Ghatsila College and obtained a Master of Arts in Santali from the Department of Tribal and Regional Languages, Ranchi University.
He is married to Kunti Besra, who was as a nurse by profession, and they have three children: Neetisha, Neelam, and Saurav.. Surya Singh Besra is also a known figure in Santali literature. He received the Sahitya Akademi Translation Award in 2017 for his work Matkam Rasa, a Santali translation of Harivansh Rai BachchanâÂÂs renowned Hindi work Madhushala.