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The northeastern state of Assam was ready to be clubbed with Pakistan. The new Independence Plan was ready, but one man would have none of it. One man rose to take all singlehandedly. One man carved the destiny of millions. This is the story of the Lion of Assam.Thread to follow
The Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946 envisaged the division of India into various groupings. Assam was put in Group C, the plan gave the provinces autonomy to choose their future. The larger Muslim League and British Government game was to put Assam under Pakistan.
Nehru, Patel and the rest of the Congress leadership had long known how the British obstinately favored Pakistan throughout the 1940s, however at this point interests of the rest of India was in their minds. One man, would however have none of it.
Throughout the 1940s this man had been warning the Congress leadership and his own Assam Pradesh Congress Committee of Jinnah's long term plan to include Assam in Pakistan. Now the Cabinet Mission plan confirmed his worst fears. The lion was now unleashed.
The Congress Working Committee(CWC) issued a statement on the Cabinet Mission Plan on 24th May,1946. However on 19th May itself the man from Assam had shot a letter to the CWC warning against the Muslim League's sinister designs and stating that "Assam will not be taken lightly"
The man who was in Delhi came back in June and on June 5 organised Anti Grouping Day across Assam in the Brahmaputra Valley. He then formed two groups of Assam Congress leaders and instructed them to travel around the country stating that Assam should be firmly in India.
The Congress leadership however thought that the Assamese leader was mixing up his fears and jeopardizing the freedom process. Maulana Azad however differed with them in this point. He felt the objections raised by the man pertaining to Grouping in sections was valid.
Meanwhile the teams which were travelling around the country found some sympathetic ears in Sarat Chandra Bose, Shyama Prasad Mukherji, Rajndendra Prasad and Govind Bhallabh Pant. However they expressed doubts if they alone could influence CWC decision.
Between June and December number of letters and meetings were exchanged between CWC and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee(APCC) was defiant. On 9th December 1946, APCC adopted a resolution in defiance of CWC and informed Nehru that Assam will not accept Section C grouping.
This man was now fighting his own party, Muslim League and the British Government he turned to his guru Mahatma Gandhi. Bijoy Chandra Bhagwati and Mahendra Mohan Chaudhary were now sent to Srirampore in December 1946 to apprise him of the situation and seek his advice.
When's the man's emissaries met Gandhiji on 15 December 1946, he told them in unmistakable terms that the time had come for Assam "to lodge its protest and retire from Constituent Assembly. A satyagraha against Congress for the good of Congress".Gandhi blessed the revolt.
Gandhi further stated "If you do not act correctly and now,Assam will be finished. My mind is made up Assam must not lose its soul..else I will say Assam has only manikins and no men." The envoys were stunned the old Bapu had invigorated the Assamese. Bapu backed them!
Naturally the British were riled up. Gandhi was once again privately abused as an old man. Meanwhile in Assam on receiving the message from Gandhiji, the man from Assam flew to Delhi. He went to straight to Nehru, the President of the Congress Party.
And handed him a letter informing him that " we shall take this stand, advised by Gandhiji, on the subject of framing our own Constitution and Grouping.." the indication being that under no circumstances Assam will join Pakistan in what ever manner.
Meanwhile Gandhi wrote to Patel informing him of his unhappiness on the stand of CWC and stated that he was firmly behind APCC and he knew he was right. At his aggressive posturing CWC now began to dither on accepting inclusion of Assam in Group C.
At this point because of his actions the CWC was privately riled up against APCC and particularly that one man who seemed to have Gandhi's blessings.
On 4th January, a delegate from Bengal sent a letter to Patel asking if they were letting Assam down. To this Patel was reported to have replied " Surely the whole of India cannot be plunged into a civil war for the sake of Assam". Nehru replied "Assam cannot hold India back".
On 5th January 1947 , CWC formally voted accepting the British statement of 6 December 1946 on the Cabinet Mission Plan. 6 of the 8 members of APCC however voted against (the only ones who didnt) the resolution. APCC was now seen as a band of traitors privately.
Ultimately however the Cabinet Mission Plan failed and perhaps Assam's steadfast opposition to the same contributed to its failure. Communal riots now broke out and no other acceptable grouping hope was not possible anymore. Mountbatten declared Transfer of Power on 3 June 1947.
On May 1 Mountabatten had met the Lion of Assam and asked him if he had problems with Sylhet joining Bengal. He replied that he had no objection but he hoped that united Bengal would be in India itself. On 6 & 7 July Sylhet voted on the referendum and majority chose Pakistan.
Jinnah now began to plan to bring other parts of Assam inside Pakistan on the pretext of "contiguous majority areas". Once again one man stood up to the tyranny of Muslim League. The lion roared again and stated that any unfavorable boundary demarcation would not be tolerated.
The man from Assam was having sleepless nights. He was worried that the tribals and the other leaders would be weaned away by Pakistan since a number of North East leaders kept coming to meet Jinnah. He now wrote to Patel and Nehru explaining Jinnah's gameplan.
On 29th July he sent a letter to Patel with marked maps and documents meticulously explaining barring Shylet all areas should be in India. It was not only Assam alone he spoke for , he spoke for Tripura he spoke for Lushai Hills he spoke for every voice of the North East.
It was around this time a reception was arranged by Mountbatten in the Imperial Hotel. Hardly had the man from Assam entered the hotel , Mountbatten walked up to him and shook his hand. A provincial leader who commanded respect from the British imperialists.
Finally in August 1947 India became independent, Assam a proud part of the great nation of India. However it was not only Assam, the 7 sisters were carried intact into the India union. All because one man fought a lonely battle for seven whole years. One man alone!
The Lion of Assam , stepped forward to take his oath as the first Chief Minister of Assam. Thunderous applause rang across Shillong (the then capital) everyone stood up in their feet as he was taking the vow. The man in front of them had alone saved them.
And thus ends the story of Gopinath Bordoloi a man who changed the fortunes of 40 million people. If ever Gandhi ever advocated revolt against the Congress it was for this man.... remember the name!!!
