Sarma moots Gogoi to pen autobiography

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Jan 18: State Education and Fince Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has suggested former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to record his long political experiences in an autobiography so as to let the future generation benefit from it. If ‘experience is the mother of wisdom’ is anything to go by, the suggestion is worth considering.

The minister has made this statement when asked for his comment on the fact that nowadays the former Chief Minister is in the habit of criticizing the BJP or Himanta Biswa Sarma. The minister had a chat with reporters in the city today.

Sarma said: “Gogoi has a long-drawn-out political career, replete with experiences. This apart, he knows a lot. The wisdom he’s left with needs to be recorded in the form of his autobiography. Such an adventure is certainly going to benefit the future generation. Property of such historic importance can’t be allowed to go waste.”

Back to the topic, Sarma said: “We don’t want to engage ourselves in verbal duels with a senior leader like Gogoi. We do respect his age and experience. Barring a few issues, we don’t feel like replying all that he raises. However, we’re ready to reply if and when such issues are raised by anybody else in the Congress other than Gogoi. A senior leader like Gogoi needs to remain with dignity, and we’ve made the situation conducive for him.”

When asked on the rumours doing the rounds that Congress MLA from Chhaygaon Rekibuddin Ahmed is set to join the BJP, Sarma said: “So far, there’s no communication towards that end from either of the two parties. Even if he contacts the BJP for joining it now, such a proposal won’t be worth considering. However, Congress leaders joining the BJP will be a continuous process for the next five years.”

When asked on the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) intensifying its agitation against demonetization, including the gherao of the RBI in the city today, Sarma cracked a joke: “The Congress leaders can’t relent as they’re still to get a large number of outdated 500-rupee and 1000-rupee notes exchanged.”