Nearly eight decades after the 1947 Partition of India, Hindus in Pakistan and Bangladesh endure relentless violence and systemic marginalisation, with no homeland to call their own. The brutal murder of Hindu factory worker Deepu Chandra Das at the hands of radical Islamists stands as stark evidence of this grim reality—a pattern of atrocities that echoes from Lahore to Dhaka, leaving minority communities vulnerable and forsaken.
Even after 78 years of India’s independence, Assamese people remain haunted by the Congress party’s conspiracy—led by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru—to seal a similar fate for the region’s Hindus by merging Assam with East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.
Betrayal of Congress and Nehru
In the east of our country, Assam was also not behind other states of India in the freedom movement. Hundreds of freedom fighters of the state sacrificed their lives for the Independence of a united India under the leadership of the Congress party. But it was probably out of their imagination that the Congress leadership had some other plan in their mind about the fate of Assam. Congress leadership, including Jawaharlal Nehru, favoured Assam’s merger with Pakistan to appease the Muslim League. Unlike others, freedom fighters and Congress leaders in Assam had to fight two battles during the Indian freedom movement. One against the Britishers and another against their central leadership. It was said by none other than the freedom fighters themselves. Led by Bharat Ratna Gopinath Bordoloi, Congress leaders in Assam had to fight their own central leadership, which favoured merging Assam with Pakistan. It was Bordoloi and a few of his close aides’ determination that compelled the Congress leadership to change their mind.
Muslim League Conspiracy
It was the Muslim League’s long-held aspiration to incorporate Assam into the East Bengal map. The leaders of the Muslim League had a vision and began working on it from the early 1930s of the 19th century to rapidly increase the Muslim population in the state’s plains. A huge influx started from Bengal to Assam starting from the 1930s, and the plan was to increase the number of Muslims to lay a claim on Assam. Freedom fighter and Assam Congressman Ambikagiri Raichoudhury frequently reminded Jawaharlal Nehru of questions about immigration and settlers. Raichoudhury said out of fear that Assam could be the next Palestine if huge immigration from Bengal doesn’t stop. However, this had little impact on Nehru, who sought to give Assam to Jinnah on a silver platter at the time of Partition. Under the leadership of Syed Saadullah, the Muslim League was cooking up a conspiracy to include Assam in East Bengal, and the Congress central leadership didn’t hesitate in it. However, Gopinath Bordoloi and the Congress leaders of Assam opposed it from the outset. Following the fall of the Syed Saadullah government, Gopinath Bordoloi assumed office as Prime Minister of Assam in 1938. The Congress leadership did not well receive Bordoloi’s bold decisions, and he resigned under tremendous pressure from the central leadership.
Gopinath Bordoloi’s fellow Congressman, Mahendra Mohan Choudhury, wrote about the bold stand taken by Bordoloi against the wishes of the Congress leadership. Mahatma Gandhi was anxious about the large influx from East Bengal to Assam under British and Syed Saadullah government patronage. Gopinath Bordoloi had sent Mahendra Mohan Choudhury to discuss the matter with Mahatma Gandhi. Choudhury wrote about the discussion with Gandhi, “We told Bapuji about the conspiracy to make Assam a Muslim majority state and include it in Pakistan under the patronage of the Saadullah government. Gandhiji said, “Bordoloi also mentioned it in his report. The people of Assam shouldn’t accept this. If continuous immigration happens to a small state from its large neighbouring states and if the indigenous people of the small states are on the verge of becoming a minority, then they have the right of peaceful agitation (Satyagrah) against it.” Gandhiji further said, “Nobody can paint it in communal colour. The indigenous people have the right to take appropriate action against the migrant community.”
Mahendra Mohan Choudhury further wrote about the political foresight of Gopinath Bordoloi, “If Congress were not voted to power with an absolute majority in 1946, no doubt Pakistan (Rahu) would have gulped Assam. This was possible only because of the political intelligence and popularity of Gopinath Bordoloi.” Choudhury wrote about the Congress party’s anti-Assam stance by the central leadership.
In the central leadership of Congress, only Syama Prasad Mukherjee and Sarat Chandra Bose were against the inclusion of Assam in “Grouping”. The Assam Assembly also passed a resolution against the grouping. Sarat Chandra Bose prepared minutes of the resolution. We had to fight a lot with the Congress Working Committee (CWC) to pass the resolution.”
PM Modi’s Attack on Congress
During his recent visit to Assam on December 20-21, PM Narendra Modi criticised the Congress party for decades of continuous conspiracy against the people of Assam. In a public rally in Guwahati PM Modi said, “A short while ago I had the privilege of unveiling the statue of Gopinath Bardoloi, Assam’s first Chief Minister and a source of pride for the state. Bharat Ranta Bardoloi never compromised on Assam’s identity, future, and interests, and his statue will continue to inspire future generations, instilling in them a deep sense of pride for Assam.”
In his recent visit to Assam on 20-21 December, PM Narendra Modi criticised Congress party for decades of continuous conspiracy against the people of Assam. In a public rally in Guwahati PM Modi said, “A short while ago I had the privilege of unveiling the statue of Gopinath Bardoloi, Assam’s first Chief Minister and a source of pride for the state. Bharat Ranta Bardoloi never compromised on Assam’s identity, future, and interests, and his statue will continue to inspire future generations, instilling in them a deep sense of pride for Assam.”
Pointing out that the mistakes committed by the opposition over six to seven decades are being corrected under his leadership, PM Modi stated that whether opposition leaders visit the Northeast or not, he himself feels a sense of belonging among his own people whenever he comes to Assam and the region.
The Cold War
Bordoloi had to oppose the entire Congress Working Committee (CWC) on the matters of the “Cabinet Mission” recommendation and “Grouping”. Freedom fighter Pushpalata Das wrote, “Bordoloi’s greatest political success was to get Gandhiji’s support during the critical time of “Grouping”. Gandhiji’s support to Assam divided the CWC and it was compelled to support the cause of Assam. The resolution passed in the Assam Assembly was a shield for Bordoloi and he played a perfect political game based on it. Pattabhi Sitaramayya once told me, “The whole Congress Working Committee doesn’t match the weight of Gopinath Bordoloi.” Nehru wrote to President of Assam Congress Gopinath Bordoloi that it seems the Assam Assembly haphazardly passed the resolution, their concept about section and grouping is not clear.” In response, Bordoloi wrote to Nehruji that the resolution passed in the Assam Assembly was not ambiguous; rather, the people of Assam were confused by his radio address. Annoyed by the stand of Bordoloi and his fellow Congressmen, Nehru once said that, like the Muslim League, Assam, by its adamant stand, will be a disaster to the nation.
Prime Minister Modi remarked that success in the development of Assam and the Northeast is also being achieved because the government is safeguarding the region’s identity and culture. He highlighted the opposition’s efforts to erase this identity, which were not limited to a few years. He stated that the roots of this wrongdoing go back to the pre-independence era, when the Muslim League and the British government were preparing the ground for India’s partition, and at that time there was also a plan to make Assam a part of undivided Bengal, that is, East Pakistan. PM Modi noted that the Congress was part of this conspiracy, but Gopinath Bardoloi ji stood against his own party, opposed this plot to destroy Assam’s identity, and saved Assam from being separated from the country. He emphasised that their party rises above party lines to honour every patriot, and under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji, when their government came to power, Bardoloi ji was conferred the Bharat Ratna.
Support of Shyama Prashad Mukherjee
Fellow freedom fighter of Bharat Ratna Bordoloi and Congressman Debeswar Sarmah wrote, “When the Cripps Mission proposed to include Assam in the same group with Bengal, all Congress leaders accepted it without any hesitation except Mahatma Gandhi. Gopinat Bordoloi met each and every central leader of Congress party and tried to make them understand that Assam will lose its identity forever if it is grouped with Bengal. But he didn’t receive support from any leader. Only Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and Sarat Chandra Bose supported the cause of Assam and said that Assam shouldn’t be grouped with Bengal.”
Prime Minister Modi remarked that while Bardoloi ji had saved Assam before independence, the first ruling dispensation in the post-independence era once again initiated anti-Assam and anti-national activities. He highlighted that they conspired to expand their vote bank through religious appeasement, giving free rein to infiltrators in Bengal and Assam. He stated that the region’s demography had changed, and that these infiltrators had encroached on forests and lands. The Prime Minister emphasised that, as a result, the security and identity of the entire state of Assam were jeopardised. “Criticising the previous governments for keeping Assam and the Northeast away from development, Modi said the nation had to pay a heavy price in terms of security, unity, and integrity. He highlighted that under opposition rule, violence thrived for decades, whereas in the last 10–11 years, efforts have been made to end it. He stated that, where violence and bloodshed once prevailed in the Northeast, digital connectivity via 4G and 5G technologies is now reaching these areas. The Prime Minister emphasised that districts once considered violence-affected are now developing into aspirational districts, and in the coming years these regions will become industrial corridors. He emphasised that a new confidence has emerged regarding the Northeast and stressed the need to further strengthen it.
PM Modi remarked that the government under CM Himanta Biswa Sarma is working diligently to free Assam’s resources from illegal and anti-national encroachments. He highlighted that efforts are being made at every level to ensure Assam’s resources benefit the people of Assam. He stated that the Union government has also taken strict measures to stop infiltration, with identification processes underway to remove illegal infiltrators.
The Prime Minister emphasised that the Opposition and their alliance have openly adopted anti-national agendas, even as the Supreme Court has stated that infiltrators should be removed. He noted that these parties are issuing statements in defence of infiltrators, and their lawyers are pleading in court to settle them. He remarked that, when the Election Commission conducts the SIR process to ensure fair elections, these groups oppose it. The Prime Minister emphasised that such individuals will not protect the interests of Assamese brothers and sisters and will allow others to occupy their land and forests. He warned that their anti-nationalist mindset could rekindle the violence and unrest of earlier periods. He stressed that it is therefore essential to remain vigilant, for the people of Assam to stay united, and to continue to defeat the Opposition’s conspiracies that aim to derail Assam’s development.
