Despite many differences with the sayings and doings of the Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, I share at least one of his views on an occasion that the people of Assam are ‘emotional’. He is right, I agree since watching the various affairs through which the state has passed and the CM has succeeded in having the reign of state administration successfully for about one and a half decades. Since the beginning of last phase of 20th century, I recall the memories of Assam agitation against the foreigners issue in the state right from the year 1979. The students and the general public under the banner of All Assam Students Union (AASU) and Asom Gana Sangram Samiti (AGSS) brought the entire state to a halt. They succeeded in bringing the entire state on turmoil. The fire of agitation began with the ‘rumors’ that more than 79,000 foreign nationals participated in an earlier franchise in the district of Darang alone. They demanded that the names of such foreigners be deleted from the voter lists. If it was a fact it could be imagined what was the situation in the entire state.
The leaders propelling the movement demanded that the foreigners be detected and deported from the state and then the state government would be allowed to function. Entire Assam state was burning ’emotionally’ and the administration was deadlocked. For the long six years there was a tough time for state government to maintain law and order. Schools, colleges and government offices did not function properly. The erstwhile Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was tough against the ongoing agitation and failed to understand people’s ‘emotion’. She did not bow down before the ‘emotional’ agitation of the people of the state. On the other hand, under the Chief Minister ship of Hiteswar Saikia in1983 Assam Assembly elections were declared by the Election Commission. The people of the state opposed and boycotted the polls. Ignoring the people’s demand a government was formed for ‘name-shake’, which could not function even a single day.
After the assassination of Indira Gandhi, her son Rajiv Gandhi succeeded as the PM of the country and the situation changed a bit. Propelling agitation for long six years, the movement leaders also ‘emotionally’ decided to cool down. Rajiv Gandhi invited the agitation leaders to find out a solution to the problems. The Assam Accord was signed on 15th August 1985, the Independence Day. According to agreement the agitation leaders agreed to stop agitation, form a political party and contest the polls. The polls of1983 was declared ‘null and void’. Interestingly, within a short period of four months, a new regional political party, namely, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) was formed and fresh Assembly elections were declared without deleting the names of ‘so-called’ foreign nationals. The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) came to power with absolute majority. It can be said that the so-called foreign nationals also ‘emotionally’ supported the AGP. Under the ambiguity of the Accord the people in general accepted every clause of the Accord ‘emotionally’ impressed by the feelings of movement leaders.
Another instance of the people’s emotion was reflected when Dr.Bhupen Hazarika filed nomination for contesting parliamentary election on a BJP ticket from Tezpur. A lot of ‘filthy’ remarks were passed on against him by the people out of craze, who after his death came forward ‘emotionally’ demanding ‘Bharat Ratna’ for him. CM Tarun Gogoi is experienced well with the emotions of the people. It is because of that he has succeeded in running the government thrice at a stretch and still has made his mind to continue.
21 Nov 2008 - 7:54pm | editor
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Gamusas and Japis are two important items in Assam, which are in much demand throughout the year in the state especially during festival seasons and social functions. These items are demanded by the people to honor the guests and honorable persons during each and every event. However, it has been found that throughout the festival seasons the supply of locally woven gamusas are not according to demand by the customers. The reason behind it is said to be heavy cost of the locally produced items. On the other hand the weavers and traders from other parts of the country take advantage of supplying gamusas at cheaper rates and make more profit despite spending heavy cost on...
Archaeological Survey of India, Guwahati circle, has been trying to take-up the work of repairing of a broken pillar in the Mandap of Hayagriva Madhav Temple at Hajo for a long time. ASI, Guwahati has informed the media through a press note that one of the pillars of ancient temple was broken in three parts due to rusting of the iron dowels holding each other and the other developed cracks due to the same reason and widened more after the earthquake of May 2015. Hayagriva Madhav Temple is a reconstructed temple during the Koch period. The architectural parts of the earlier temple have been used for reconstruction. Different parts of the temple have been used randomly for making the pillars...
There is a generation gap between the signing of Assam Accord on the Independence Day 1985 and the present generation has to face new challenges to compete with the world class people in all spheres of development. The young people are confused over the airing of old issues which have lasted for long 31 years in absence of any solution. The issues pertaining to the Accord have become irrelevant under the present circumstances. The Assam Accord issue is still haunting and confusing the present generation due to absence of a clear picture. The fate of the Accord is not known to the people in general. A few politicians and intellectuals are trying to raise the issues of the accord from time to...
It is an established fact that a person involved in political activities cannot remain in peace till his cherished dreams are fulfilled. This can be noticed through the recent statements of former Assam chief minister, Tarun Gogoi, who has been expressing his views frequently in media against the four months old BJP-led alliance government in the state under the chief minister ship of Sarwanand Sonowal. He (Gogoi) dares to demand a ‘white paper’ from state government about the steps taken by it to clear the encroachments of forest and other government lands in the state and also to let the people of the state know, what action it has taken to identify and deport the foreign...
Addressing a huge gathering of residents of Udaypur, Jonakpur and Birubari at Udaypur Kali Mandir complex on Sunday, July 3, 2016, East Guwahati Assembly Member, Siddharth Bhattacharjee, emphasized the need of implementing the vision document of development as envisaged by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking at the function organized by Udaypur Yuva Sangha to felicitate him on his success in the recently concluded polls to the state Assembly, he conveyed his thanks to the people of the area for showing their confidence in him. He assured the people that he would not let their confidence go in vain. The meeting was presided over by Dr Phani Borah. Senior citizen of the locality Kartik...
Hardly a few days ago, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Alliance has taken the reign of Assam administration the results of efforts made by Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi to bring back black money to the state coffer, has started recently with the arrest of Dhemaji Divisional Forest Officer, Mahat Chandra Talukdar by anti-corruption department. For a long time the reports of wildlife crimes were in the air, but the previous state administration ruled by Congress Party under the three-terms leadership of Tarun Gogoi did not try to take any action. The former Chief Minister Gogoi was under a wrong impression that the people who gave him a...
A study conducted by B Boruah Cancer Institute, Guwahati, has revealed that during a decade from 2001-02 to 2011-12, cancer cases in the north-eastern part of the country have gone up from 5,404 to 8,708. A campaign, namely, Cycle 4 ride can help control this dreaded disease. In order to raise awareness to fight cancer a lady, namely, Marcellna Sangma, is going to lead a Biker Mission to 600 kms long stretch from Guwahati to Bum La Pass, near Indo-China border in Arunachal Pradesh. The ride is scheduled to be flagged off by Dr Amar Chandra Kataki, Director, B Boruah Cancer Institute, on April 21, 2016.Expressing her traumatic experience with cancer, Sangma, who was a cancer patient a decade...
Being disturbed since the first phase of polling for Assam Assembly on April 4 last, the Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi is finding it difficult to remember the history of Assam agitation propelled by All Assam Students Union (AASU) since the year 1979 to the Independence Day of 1985, resulting in the Assam Accord which was signed between the Assam Government and the movement leaders in presence of erstwhile prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi. Heavy polling beyond 85 percent of the electorate in the second phase also made Gogoi to think over the majority of young and new voters were not the ‘beneficiaries of getting blankets, yarn and mosquito nets’. They are young, energetic, literate and...
Continuing campaigns for Assam Assembly elections have confused the Assam intellectuals to raise vital issues before the future state legislators and improve the quality of political atmosphere affecting the entire society for quite some time. Almost all political parties have started ‘derogatory’ comments against their rivals for attracting the electorates by their acts and objectives about which they are themselves ignorant. The main reason behind such interpretation is lack of knowledge about the real issues on which the political parties are campaigning. Assam as a state of multi-lingual and religious people continued to be disturbed since the year1979, when several organizations under...
Long awaited North East Graduate Congress, an initiative of Education Research Development Foundation (ERDF) is going to be held from February 26 to 28, 2016. This is the only graduate congress in India being organized by University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM) in association with RIST and supported by the State Bank of India (SBI). The venue of the congress is the USTM campus at 9th mile, Khanapara. Addressing the media persons in Guwahati on February 14, 2016, the USTM spokesperson informed that the three days congress is aimed to enhance all round development and bring out the capabilities of future graduates through various life skill processes to bring out their...
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