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The title of former chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s memoir, ‘Turnaround: Leading Assam from the Front’, maybe greatest describes his contribution to creating the northeastern state a Congress citadel for 15 years – from 2001 to 2016.
Gogoi took cost of the Congress social gathering when Assam was going by way of a tough section. Insurgency and ‘secret killings’ – the extrajudicial killings of relations of sure United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) leaders allegedly by state companies — turned the state into one of the most harmful locations on the earth.
In the 2001 elections, the Congress gained 71 out of 126 meeting seats defeating Prafulla Kumar Mahanta-led Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). The AGP that was born out of the six-year anti-foreigner agitation that had dominated Assam for second time period from 1996 to 2001.
Gogoi wrote in his memoir, “And when the leaders of the agitation formed a political party after signing the Assam Accord [in 1985], there was much joy and hope. It thus grieved me to see the spirit of the simple and romantic Assamese silently shattering.”
“The first phase of AGP rule – from 1985 to 1990 – had been distressing enough. The economy was in doldrums, and insurgency and counter-insurgency were the order of the day. But the descent during the second phase…was worse. Assam witnessed it ugliest era, marked by fear among the innocent and violence of the corrupt.”
With the failing financial system and the lack of growth, the state was gazing an unsure future. The scenario got here to such a cross that authorities staff had gone with out wage for months.
All this modified beneath Gogoi’s management. After he took over as CM in 2001, Gogoi opened channels for talks with rebel outfits, thereby reining in the tradition of killings and counter-killings. He introduced the state’s financial system on observe and undertook large infrastructure growth.
For occasion, the price of progress in Gross State Domestic Product (at 1999-2000 fixed worth) elevated from 1.75 per cent in the ninth plan interval (1997-98 to 2001-02) to five.33 per cent in the 10th plan and to six.78 per cent in the 11th (2007-08 to 2011-12).
A 2014 white paper launched by the Assam Congress on contributions of the BJP-led National Democratic Front (NDA) and the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance to Assam, learn, “The HDI [human development index] report ranked Assam [first] in [the] percentage change in income index as compared to 1999-2000.”
The grand previous social gathering additionally claimed it had introduced in near Rs 20,000 crore of funding to the “insurgency-ravaged state” throughout the interval from 2001 to 2016 when Gogoi was the chief minister.
“The BJP-led government often claims that Rs 7,000 crore of investment followed in the state ever since they assumed power in Assam, but that is not true. The Rs 7,000 crore that the government talks of are actually from industries like Dabur, Sun Pharma, Emami, Hindustan Unilever, Star Cement, Topcem Cements etc, which had started production from 2007…,” senior Congress chief Pradyut Bordoloi, who served as business minister in the Tarun Gogoi-led cupboard, had mentioned in 2018.
Early Life and Political Career
Gogoi was born on October 11, 1934 into an Ahom household at Rangajan Tea Estate in Jorhat district. After graduating from Jorhat’s JB College, he earned his regulation diploma from Gauhati University. He then took the plunge into politics, however not like many, he set his eyes on the nationwide enviornment. He gained his first Lok Sabha election in 1971 from the Jorhat constituency. He had been elected to the Lower House of Parliament six instances – initially from Jorhat and later from the Kaliabor seat, which is now held by his son Gaurav Gogoi.
He additionally served as Union Minister for Food (impartial cost) from 1991 to 1993 and MoS Food Processing Industry (impartial cost) from 1993 to 1995.
Gogoi was elected joint secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in 1976 beneath Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. A real Congress loyalist as he was, Gogoi known as Indira Gandhi “an inspiring leader, totally devoted to the people and the country”.
Recalling the post-Emergency days, Gogoi wrote in his memoir, “Her comeback was inevitable. As for me, I would not have left the Congress even if Indiraji had not won the 1980 election. Loyalty precedes power politics; I am a Congressman and will remain one till my last breath.”
Disclaimer:The writer is a senior journalist and author based mostly in Delhi. Views expressed are private.
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