All India Patriotic Forum, Assam branch on Saturday remembered Umesh Chandra Devchoudhury, who joined the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) under the leadership of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in 1943 and fought many battles for the motherland. Probably the last INA soldier from Assam, Devchoudhury passed away on December 11, 2013 at his residence in Patacharkuchi of lower Assam. A Lieutenant of INA, Devchoudhury maintained an active life till his demise at the age of 97.
In a formal memorial meeting held in Guwahati Press Club various speakers highlighted the spirit of patriotism shown by Devchoudhury and his colleagues who led an eventful struggle in various south and southeast Asian places like Singapore, Rangoon, Arakan front etc. With his sincerity and commitment, Devchoudhury elevated himself up to the level of Lieutenant in INA and led his troop against the British imperial forces mostly on the India-Myanmar border in 1944 to make India an independent nation.
Speakers including freedom fighters Jatin Goswami & Ganesh Chandra Das, Prof Rabin Devchoudhury, Ajay Dutta, Jaharlal Saha, Umakanta Bhattacharya, Jagadindra Raichoudhury, Rupma Barua, Hiten Mahanta, Nava Thakuria, KN Devchoudhury, Pramod Kalita etc paid their heartiest tributes to the departed soul.
Before the meeting, floral tributes were also paid to Devchoudhury and two patriotic songs ‘Bande Mataram----’and ‘O Mor Aponar Desh ----’were also sung by the participants in the memorial meeting.
Yet another BJP MLA has spoken to his mind opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 on Wednesday. That too the state party leadership have asked Rhituparna Baruah not to speak out before media. Hours after the Lahowal MLA received the diktat, his Bihpuria counterpart Devanand Hazarika openly said that there was a little ground to support the Bill in question. Talking to media, he said he won't go against the wish of his people and that those detected as immigrant in NRC should be pushed back. Hazarika is the fifth one BJP MLAs who stood up against the Bill. Earlier, Atul Bora, Hitendra Nath Goswami, Padma Hazarika and Rhituparna Baruah have spoken up against the Bill.
Traditional bonfire and feasting were accompanied by widespread protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in the length and breadth of the state from Monday evening. The anti Bill protest dominated the festivity as folks in the rural and urban areas vowed to vehemently oppose the Bill that promises citizenship to non Muslim neighbours who intruded into the country from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to escape religious persecution till December 31, 2014. Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on sharpened his predecessor Sarbananda Sonowal and called him the weakest of all the Chief Ministers. Talking to reporters in Guwahati in the sidelines of...
AGP veteran and former minister Biraj Kumar Sarma passed away in Guwahati on Tuesday. Sarma, who was suffering from ailment breathed his last at the Nemcare Hospital in the city at 2.30 in the afternoon where he was undergoing treatment. Many political parties, leaders, organizations condoled the sudden death of the Assam Accord signatory and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members.
Apart from keeping the state on the boil, the Citizenship(Amendment) Bill, 2016 has started dividing BJP, the ruling party even after the exit of its coalition partner. Nearly a dozen of party MLAs is believed to have been preparing to stand united against the Bill if the party leadership fails to read the writings on the wall. Talking to www.assamtimes.org, a senior party leader in Delhi said only a handful of party MLAs along with the ministers are unlikely to maintain studied silence. Nearly 25 MLAs are likely to come up openly against the Bill to put the government in a fix. “The number of aggrieved BJP legislators is increasing on every passing day. These legislators, mostly, are...
The protest over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 refuses to die down even in the run up to the much vaunted festival of Magh Bihu. Many organizations and individuals have staged dharna on Sunday across the state warning of dire consequences if the government fails to listen to the voice of protest. “We won’t let this to happen. I would like to throw an open challenge to BJP and RSS leaders: Get the Bill passed in Rajya Sabha and face the consequences. Don’t allow Assam---its people of ethnic diversity to be eclipsed in Hindutva politics,” said Kriskak Mukti Sangram Samity adviser Akhil Gogoi. Gogoi, the influential peasant leader said he would be on a fast on Monday on the day of...
The widespread anger and acrimony against sedition charge on Dr Hiren Gohain has spilled beyond the geographical and political boundary in the north eastern region. Noted writer and political commentator Prof Yogendra Yadav has strongly condemned the charge against the social scientist who recently addressed a rally to oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Guwahati. Let’s listen to what Prof Yadav said.
In a move that runs into a hail of statewide protest the Guwahati police have booked Dr Hiren Gohain along with two social activists 3 days after they allegedly made highly objectionable speech as they attended a rally against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The Latasheel police station have filed a suo moto case of sedition charge against the noted intellectual fuellung the situation. Dr Gohain in a statement has denied making any statement which is fit for sedition charges under the various section if IPC. AGP, Congress along with many organizations and individuals have criticized the government for the step against Dr Gohain. AGP leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta called it ...
An orgy of violence in Assam on Tuesday when over 100 parties and organizations have observed north east bandh in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. Many bandh supporters attacked some BJP offices and burnt tyres to stop the movement of vehicles.
AASU along with many other organizations have submitted over 2.5 lakh objections before the NRC authorities in different parts of the state from Saturday to Monday. According to sources, these objections, mostly, were submitted in Kamrup, Goalpara, Nagaon, Barpeta and Morigaon districts. Nine lakh applicants who were dropped from the draft in June last year did not turn up with supporting documents while 31 lakh submitted claims. The phase to submit claims and objections ended on December 31 and process to take up the claims is said to have started.
Nearly 200 political parties and organizations have started vehemently opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in many forms after JPC set up to study the controversial Bill approved it to submit before Lok Sabha on Monday. The All Assam Students Union along with 30 other ethnic pressure groups are holding a huge rally in the capital city of Guwahati on Sunday opposing the Bill that would give citizenship to the non Muslim immigrants. The influent peasant body along with 50 other organizations are holding sit in strike demanding halt in the move. The main opposition Congress will protest the Bill both inside and outside the Parliament. Opposition leader Debabrata Saikia has...
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