By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Aug 22: The controversy over the upcoming elections of the Axam Xahitya Xabha (AXX) has reached its nadir following the announcement of a hunger strike by one of its former members. The member also hinted at the possibility of forming a new committee of the apex literary body of Assam, different from the one headed by Rongbong Terong and Dr Parmananda Rajbongshi.

Former central committee organizer, publication secretary and lifetime member of AXX, Prof Bhabani Prasad Adhikari said that he would stage a 12-hour hunger strike on August 25 at Dighalipukhuripaar in Guwahati. “This will be in support of Dr Nagen Saikia and Homen Borgohain and against AXX general secretary Dr Parmananda Rajbongshi,” he said.

It may be mentioned that Dr Nagen Saikia resigned from the apex literary body on August 18 and close on the heels of his resignation, former AXX president Homen Borgohain resigned from all his posts in the AXX. They both had said that they were saddened by the way the affairs of the Axam Xahitya Xabha were being conducted and this had prompted them to severe all their ties with the literary body.

Prof Adhikari said, “The Axam Xahitya Xabha is an organization of the people of Assam and nobody would want to see it being destroyed. Since 2009, Dr Parmananda Rajbongshi has been running this literary body according to his whims and fancies. All decisions of the body are taken by him. He is the one calling the shots and Rongbong Terong and the AXX executive committee are supporting him. Dr Rajbongshi also went ahead and made insulting comments against Dr Nagen Saikia and Homen Borgohain, thereby compelling them to severe ties with the body. This hunger strike will be my protest against the manner in which Dr Rajbongshi is running the literary body and in future my protest will intensify.”

Prof Adhikari also alleged that during the AXX’s executive meeting on August 26 in 2010, president Rongbong Terong and general secretary Dr Parmananda Rajbongshi amended the constitution of the literary body to suit their personal interests. “I had opposed this move and hence I was suspended from the AXX,” he said.

Prof Adhikari also said that on September 9, a special convention will be held in Nagaon which will be attended by all former AXX presidents. He subtly hinted that a new committee of the AXX might be formed during that convention.

“If a parallel committee of the AXX is formed or if the AXX gets mired in more controversy, Dr Parmananda Rajbongshi is to be solely blamed for it,” said Prof Adhikari.