The Colossus of Assam Politics

November 23, 2020, is one of the bleakest days for the nation as Assam lost a statesman, a visionary, and above all a man who won over millions of hearts –– a man who deserves nothing but respect. Undoubtedly with the demise of 86-year old TarunGogoi, three-time former Chief Minister, Assam has lost a patriot, a charismatic parliamentarian, a great human being and a veteran leader, who was very popular for his non-partisan politics.

Tarun Gogoi, a true son of the soil, rose from a very humble background to lead the State at a crucial juncture. Born into a respectable family at Rangajan Tea Estate near Jorhat, Gogoi graduated from the Jagannath Barooah (JB) College in Jorhat and subsequently got his LLB degree from Gauhati University. A student leader in JB College where he had served as the vice president of the college students' union, Gogoi initially practiced law in Jorhat, but having earned local fame and reputation as a sincere worker of the Congress party, he was spotted and handpicked by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to lead the Youth Congress in Assam in 1971. With his first stint as a Member of Parliament (LokSabha) starting in 1971, he went on to be elected to the Lok Sabha for six times. He also served as the joint secretary of the 'All India Congress Committee' (AICC) in 1976 and president of the Assam's Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) from 1986 to 1990.

During the tenure of P.V. Narasimha Rao as the Prime Minister, Gogoi served in the Union Cabinet as the Minister of State (Independent charge) in the Ministry of Food and Food Processing Industry. Gogoi led the Congress to record three consecutive electoral victories in Assam in 2001, 2006 and 2011, and served as the Chief Minister of the State for 15 years (2001-2016) — thus becoming the longest-serving Chief Minister of the State.

Tarun Gogoi took significant strides towards acceleration of inclusive economic growth in Assam. He was a leader par excellence with a great sense of compassion and humour, a daring Chief Minister, as well as a highly principled politician who was admired across party lines. Gogoi took the helm of affairs of the Assam in 2001 when the State was facing a serious financial crisis. Such was the situation that the State government did not even have the required funds to pay salaries on time to government employees. Insurgency was still on, the law-and-order situation was alarming, and the people were scared to come out because of rampant abductions, killings and extortions. The economy was in such a bad shape that the Centre had stopped releasing funds to Assam as the State government failed to pay its share (10 to 25 per cent in schemes).

The State's socio-economic atmosphere saw a turnaround from 2001. Soon after assuming power, Gogoi convinced the Union government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee to release funds. Annual floods, militancy and poor economy had crippled the State's development, but things picked up after his government took up projects with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 2005.

An iconic leader in the national level, Tarun Gogoi led Assam with great wisdom, foresight and love for the country. He was one of the most dynamic leaders who ushered in an era of reforms, progress and took forward the State. A go-getter and man of great vision and charisma, TarunGogoi steered the State out of the morass. Under his leadership, the economic growth accompanied by peace helped Assam accelerate her pace of all-round development during the subsequent years. He dealt with the occasional flare-ups like the Kokrajhar violence of 2012 and other ethnic violence in the State with an iron hand. The infrastructural development activities carried out under his visionary leadership contributed greatly to a facilitative investment climate which in turn promoted Assam's rapid growth. It was at his behest that several top industrialists and corporate leaders of India came on a visit to Assam, setting the ball rolling for fresh investments in the State. The situation improved to such an extent that Guwahati successfully hosted the prestigious National Games in 2007 and the South Asian Games in 2016. He also put the State of Assam on the fast-track with various initiatives such as provincialisation of venture educational institutions, setting up of autonomous/development councils for different ethnic groups, welfare schemes for the minorities, renovation of the Assam Secretariat, setting up of major sports infrastructure and a Games Village in Guwahati, rapid developmental activities in BTC, to name a few.

Tarun Gogoi, the octogenarian three-time Chief Minister of Assam, who breathed his last on Monday evening, was one of Northeast India's tallest statesmen who changed the face of Assam from a terrorism-ravaged State to a land with opportunities for trade, business and economy during his 15-year rule. His demise is an irreparable loss to the state, and marks the end of an era. A guiding light for the State through all his years in public life, Gogoi remained a strong proponent of the all-round development in the lives various castes and communities living in Assam. He was a true parliamentarian.

With his death, a vacuum has been created in polity and end of an era of politics in the State as well as the country. A mass leader and a sensitive human being, TarunGogoi was a great orator who refused to attack his opponent personally. There are numerous instances where he displayed character which is very different from today's politicians. That is — ideologically or politically there can be issues of confrontations, but when it comes to personal rapport with other leaders such differences cannot be traced. That is why he was acceptable to a large section of people. Moreover, every democratic organization was allowed to carry out peaceful agitations and protests during his regime and he never took resort to violence and threat to curb the spirit of the agitators. Gogoi's towering personality, his vision for nation building and deep respect for democratic institutions would remain an inspiration for the present and coming generations. He emerged as a popular national leader who believed that power is a means of service and led a spotless political life without compromising on national interest. And that's why the people across political and social boundaries showered him with love and respect.

Tarun Gogoi's contribution for the motherland will inspire generations to come. He will be remembered for contributing towards good governance and for highlighting issues affecting the common people of Assam as well as for regional peace and prosperity. His tireless work for the welfare of the people of the state will inspire future generations of leaders. — Pranjal Dutta

(The writer is Assistant Professor & Head, Department of English, Sarupathar College. He can be reached at pranjalduttaspr@gmail.com)

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