Eastern Flank or NSCN 'mainstream' factions behind explosion ?? :::: One Assam Rifles jawan killed, four injured in suspected IED blast in Nagaland

Manipur was in the cobweb of violence and blame giving mudslinging. The malady ...at least in small 'fraction' of it has entered Nagaland as well.    

Or it may be too early to make such claims ??

One Assam Rifles personnel was killed and several others were injured in a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) blast near the Longi area of Sukhovi in Chümoukedima district on Monday, July 13.

Defence Public Relations Officer (PRO), Kohima, said the suspected IED blast targeted Assam Rifles vehicles.

"A suspected IED blast is reported near Sukhovi on Assam Rifles vehicles. One security personnel has lost his life and four injured. Operation in progress. Further details awaited," the Defence PRO said.

"The bomb blast at Chümoukedima is a cowardly act that has no place in our society. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected. 

Those responsible will be identified and brought to justice. 

We will not allow such acts to threaten the peace and security of our people," Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio tweeted. 

Video Link

Meanwhile, initial field reports indicated that six Assam Rifles personnel were injured, one of whom succumbed to injuries, while two civilians also sustained minor injuries. However, these figures had not been officially confirmed at the time of filing. 

Security forces have launched a search operation in the area, and further details are awaited as the operation continues.

There is intense speculation on the causes of the blast. Informed analysts do not rule out possibilities of suspected militants' involvement. 

The wrongdoers could be from Eastern Flank or one of the 'mainstream factions', sources said.   

Possibilities of proxies of  a potent group cannot be ruled out even as by 'flaring up things' in Nagaland… the particular group does not achieve much.  

"One must say the public were very helpful in transferring the injured... to a nearby Govt hospital," says an eyewitness. He also claimed that the explosion was soon followed by a very loud sound even creating panic among those in the far off fields.  Agreeing with these versions for the sake of argument and going by the logic, a former military officer said -- 

"Suspicion may only grow over the possible handiwork of EF or their 'elements'.

The newly floated wing in the NSCN-IM said by such an incident at this juncture would "only leave a mark and also possibly make sure everyone is guessing". 

This is of course a matter of concern because July 13 blast is only the second IED blast within a week allegedly by a powerful Naga faction. 

On July 6, two soldiers of the 40th Battalion of the Assam Rifles were killed after suspected militants ambushed a convoy in Manipur’s Ukhrul district.

The deceased were identified as Warrant Officer Balwant Singh and Rifleman CM Singh, who was reportedly driving one of the convoy vehicles. 

Both sustained critical injuries in the attack and later succumbed.

Old File snap : Not related to recent news  

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Kuki Zo Council reiterates demand for 'Union Territory' with a legislature ::: It also opposes SIR alleging this will reinforce the narrative of illegal immigration

The Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) on Monday urged the Centre to expedite a political solution for the Kuki-Zo community in Manipur, alleging continuing violence, human rights violations and denial of essential services.  

It reiterated its demand for a Union Territory with a legislature as a long-term political solution.

The KZC also criticised the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, alleging that it was being used to reinforce the narrative of illegal immigration. 

Elections are due in Manipur by Feb-March 2027 along with UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Goa. 

The ongoing political dialogue with the Centre was continuing on a monthly basis and expressed hope that the government would act on the grievances raised during Monday's meeting.

A KZC delegation also separately held discussions with senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) in the national capital. It met the MHA interlocutor Ajay Lal and new Intelligence Bureau director Mahesh Dixit, where it submitted its concerns over the security situation in Manipur.

The council said it was also likely to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan to press its demands.

"The Kuki-Zo community had suffered extensively during the ethnic conflict that has continued for more than three years. In the last five months we have lost at least 15 Kuki Zo people in the hands of suspected Naga militants," KZC spokesperson Ginza Vualzong told reporters here.

Since March this year, at least 55 houses in 14 Kuki Zo villages have been burnt down during the ongoing conflict, Ginza said.

He claimed that suspected NSCN (Muivah) and ZUF-K militants are behind the attacks.  Ginza also referred to the killing of three pastors and four other Kuki-Zo civilians in separate incidents, alleging these cases had not received adequate attention.

The Council alleged that Kuki-Zo people continue to face denial of healthcare, disruption of food supplies, restrictions on movement and other essential services. It also accused the authorities of failing to ensure equal justice and protection.

Writing on the wall: Churachandpur 

The delegation also alleged discrimination in access to healthcare. It claimed that three injured Kuki-Zo persons taken to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal in June were allegedly prevented from receiving treatment following protests, forcing security forces to shift them to Churachandpur Medical College Hospital.

"This deeply disturbing incident raises serious concerns about the ability of Kuki-Zo citizens to safely access medical care in public institutions. The inability of injured citizens to receive treatment without fear of intimidation represent a grave violation of constitutional guarantee and basic humanitarian principles," Ginza said.

The Council further alleged that blockades in parts of Senapati and surrounding areas had severely affected the supply of essential commodities to Kuki-Zo inhabited regions, with cooking gas cylinders reportedly costing between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 in some places.

"The Kuki Zo people, particularly those residing in Kangpokpi, Ukhrul and Kamjong districts, continue to face severe hardship due to disruptions in transportation and supply routes," he said.

Stating that the present state government had failed to provide security, the Council said there was "no sense of safety" among Kuki-Zo residents and urged the Centre to intervene directly.

Among its key demands, the KZC sought immediate protection of lives and property, restoration of uninterrupted access to healthcare and essential supplies, protection of vulnerable villages, a time-bound and impartial investigation into all incidents of violence, and the early conclusion of political dialogue with Suspension of Operations (SoO) groups.

Relief camp in Churachandpur : Jan 2025 

It may be high time for Sangh to disown Champat Rai ::: "Protecting" an individual though personally honest .. may not serve long term interest of Hindutva

 RSS expresses 'grief' over Ram temple donation theft, but avoids finger at trust allies

The Sangh had maintained a deafening silence for nearly a month after the theft allegations surfaced in early June, with fingers pointed towards temple employees believed to have been recruited by trust members.

Hindus may be silent at times and they may appear passive and too soft. But when it comes to emotion; they are second to none. The credibility of the RSS and the entire Sangh Parivar is at stake due to the theft episode with the Ram temple at Ayodhya. 

Is it because of one or two individuals ?

And why 'protect' them directly or indirectly ?  Why Champat Rai is not castigated publicly or why should law not catch up with him ?   

“The meeting expressed grief over the incident... and expressed confidence that the ongoing SIT (special investigation team) and police action, initiated at the request of the Teerth Kshetra Nyas (the temple trust), will reach a decisive turn,” RSS national publicity chief Sunil Ambekar read out a statement.  

The carefully drafted statement was issued after the organisation’s three-day annual Prant Pracharak (provincial publicist) meeting in Belagavi, Karnataka.

The delegates and key leaders had discussed the alleged irregularities in counting the offerings from the donation boxes at the Ram temple.  

“It was expected of the Teerth Kshetra Nyas to ensure that no such incident occurs in the future which could hurt the reverence and deep faith of all Ram bhakts towards the Ram Mandir.”

This is the second time the RSS has publicly responded to the controversy, which has cast a shadow over its credibility and the sanctity of the Sangh Parivar’s flagship Ram temple project.

The Sangh had maintained a silence for nearly a month after the theft allegations surfaced in early June, with fingers pointed towards temple employees believed to have been recruited by trust members — most of them linked to the Sangh Parivar and all appointed by the Narendra Modi government.

UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who is a Hindutva hardliner but not with any RSS background, is reportedly trying to make 'political use' of the episode.

He has threatened stern action against anyone involved, and sources in his police made off-the-record comments about trust members’ possible involvement, the RSS broke its silence.

Both former trust general secretary Champat Rai and senior trustee Anil Mishra  have stepped down amid mounting political and public pressure.

Both have long been associated with the RSS. Everyone says Champat Rai may be personally very honest. But that does not cover up the failure as a temple administrator. 

The inside story is - his arrogance and autocratic style of functioning could be also factors that led to this kind of situation. Rai has been himself a long associate of RSS and VHP during the early days of temple movement. 

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Hosabale and 226 delegates from across the country attended the Belagavi meeting. Besides the temple controversy, the organisation discussed issues such as drug abuse and “population imbalance” – a euphemism for an allegedly faster rise in the minority population.  

But the ideological head of the Sangh Parivar has refrained from commenting on the possible role of the temple trust leadership or assigning responsibility for the alleged lapses. 

The manner a sort of clean chit has been given to Champat Rai has surprised many in the Sangh and the BJP as well. 

“The meeting discussed various topics concerning the current scenario, mainly including information regarding the census and the challenges arising from population imbalance,” the statement said.

It said the RSS expressed concern over the “growing ill-effects of drugs” and called for efforts towards de-addiction.

The Congress party has questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s continued silence over the alleged temple theft and accused the Centre of shielding the trust leadership.

 

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M Chuba Ao -- Guest Column -- Strike a Bond with Self Dependence :::: "... slogan of the 21st century being 'Indian century' has a far greater potential"

The touchstone of any success ultimately rests with the man in the street. The common man decides everything and more so in a vibrant democracy like ours. 

Self Dependence or as we know commonly - Atmanirbhar - is a key milestone. 

Eastern Mirror Link

It's true, the Indian economy has weathered the challenges from time to time. The latest problem is from the US-Iran War. But the government of Shri Narendra Modi has handled it well. Ever since it came to power first in 2014; the NDA regime has notched up success in construction of roads and highways and in power sector. 

I might have said this earlier also. The centre has invested heavily on roads, bridges and railways and in aviation sector. However, I believe the states need to do more to tap all the potentials. In recent years, the state of Assam has done pretty well. In the process; I am sure all other north eastern states now 'feel' a challenge to deliver in areas where it has invested a lot and where each state has their own potentials.  

Indian states are the primary engines of grassroots development and economic implementation. Through cooperative and competitive federalism, they tailor national policies to local contexts—managing critical sectors like agriculture, law and order, and public health.   

A welfare state should have its own policies -- like revenue generated programmes. The issues of unemployment should be addressed at the local level.  

State governments should take up certain policy that it should not be a burden.  This decentralisation enables regions to customise their growth and public welfare strategies. Let us look into some basic technicalities.  

Eight states account for more than 60 per cent of the nation's economic activity. Andhra Pradesh, the capital New Delhi and surrounding region, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

On the other hand, five states account for 70 per cent of India's exports. They are Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana – in that order.   

The eastern India and the Northeast are far off. As stated above, Assam is changing the scenario and now a lot would also depend on West Bengal as the BJP government is now running the show.

As central-funds-depended states; the northeastern states will have to pull up sleeves and try improve the situation. Nagaland has its own challenges. But the state 'balances' rapid infrastructure progress with ecological preservation.

India’s development strategy in the Northeast focuses heavily on infrastructure, railway integration, and cross-border connectivity across all eight states under the North Eastern Council. Significant projects are transforming the region's historical remoteness into a key driver of economic growth. 

The northeastern states under Modi government are now transitioning from isolated regions into critical drivers of Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India).

M Chuba Ao 

Framed under the Ashtalakshmi (eight sister states) and Act East policies, this journey is fueled by massive infrastructure, localised economic development, cross-border connectivity, and integration into national value chains.

Hence, we in the BJP often take pride in mentioning that the last 12 years is a significant journey and milestone - put together. But we may fail in our duties of we do not point out at the need for attaining self-dependence. 

Financial support from New Delhi is always a matter of right and privilege. But now it is the responsibility of the north eastern states too. 

Given their proximity to international borders (Bhutan, China, Myanmar, and Bangladesh), these states have to help manage border-as-a-gateway policies, maintain the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system to monitor visitor entry, and handle inter-state border disputes.

Nevertheless, these states will have to evolve some new methodologies. They must collaborate on collective socioeconomic planning and resource sharing such as water, land, and energy. And in doing so, the union Home Ministry-run North Eastern Council (NEC) can play a positive role.  

The NE region is the powerhouse of India’s energy transition. Its massive, untapped hydropower potential is essential for meeting India's net-zero commitments and ensuring regional energy security. 

A Garo agriculturist

Major projects currently in development include the Subansiri Lower (2000 MW), Dibang Multi-Purpose Project (2880 MW), and Teesta Stage VI (500 MW). 

These projects are instrumental in powering the local economy and feeding the national grid.  The Northeast India can operate as a critical testing ground and operational gateway for India’s digital diplomacy, specifically in deploying digital public infrastructure to deepen sub-regional financial networks. 

Transitioning border trades onto secure, real-time electronic platforms can simplify transaction architecture, curbs illicit shadow economies, and bind our neighborhood commerce tightly to the Indian Rupee.

To wrap up, one may say ---- the slogan of the 21st century being 'Indian century' has a far greater potential than is acknowledged. It is more so in the context of north eastern states. 

It is truly 'the world at our feet' moment provided we are ready for it.

scenic Kohima : Nature calling 

(M Chuba Ao

is BJP national vice president. Views expressed are personal)

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CIA study papers :::: Could India defeat the Khalistani movement? And what consequences would prolonged instability have for South Asia?

A declassified CIA research paper titled “India and the Sikh Challenge” has dealt with critical questions 'confronting' American policymakers from time to time: 

--- How serious was the Sikh militancy/insurgency? 

--- Was Pakistan actively supporting Sikh extremists? 

Could India defeat the Khalistani movement? And what consequences would prolonged instability have for South Asia?  

The most overlooked contribution of the CIA finding remains -- in its analysis of what it called the “Sikh International Network.” 

Long before global terrorism financing became a dominant security concern, the CIA devoted an entire section to the overseas ecosystem sustaining the Punjab insurgency. 

The Sikh organisations in Britain, Canada and the United States had developed extensive fundraising and propaganda networks that alsp generated financial support for extremist groups operating in Punjab.

Curiously, the paper validates Indian allegation and also paint a 'nuanced picture' that differs from both official Indian narratives and Pakistani denials.  

The Khalistan movement is a 'Sikh separatist campaign' that sought to establish an independent sovereign state called Khalistan in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. 

The movement remains a prominent political and diplomatic issue, particularly among the Sikh diaspora in Canada, the UK, and Australia.  

It remains largely curbed or suppressed in India.  

The CIA had warned (in late 1980s) that unless the Govt of India addressed both the security and political dimensions of the crisis, Punjab could face a prolonged period of instability.

It also concluded that India had succeeded in slowing the growth of the insurgency.

Despite several successful security operations, Sikh extremists retained the ability to sustain violence through targeted assassinations, bombings and intimidation, it said.  

Notably, under the leadership of religious figure Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the movement escalated into an armed insurgency. 

The period in 1980s and 1990s saw severe unrest and violence was met with decisive military action by the Indira Gandhi government, primarily the 1984 Operation Blue Star.

Militants were eliminated and flushed out of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, and there was also subsequent anti-Sikh riots following the assassination of Indira Gandhi on Oct 31, 1964. 

The conflict and subsequent police crackdowns in the late 1980s and early 1990s largely eradicated the violent militancy in India.

The early 1990s were the deadliest phase of the conflict. 

Between 1990 and 1991, around 6,000 people were killed in the region, including nearly 1,000 police officers and paramilitary personnel. 

While earlier efforts predominantly targeted Hindus, by 1990, militants were increasingly killing proportionately more Sikhs who opposed their ideology.

Militant organizations such as Babbar Khalsa issued mandatory edicts across Punjab. They enforced strict religious and social codes, such as mandating religious uniforms in schools, banning alcohol and cigarettes, and dictating media representation.

The movement experienced significant internal factionalism and criminalization. 

Under the guise of the separatist struggle, criminal gangs and armed groups began coercing businessmen and landowners for protection money to fund weapons and equipment.

The government had launched aggressive counter-militancy and policing operations, dispatching heavy army and paramilitary convoys into the state.  

The CIA paper in the meantime did not portray Pakistan as directing every aspect of the insurgency. Instead, it described what amounted to calibrated support, sufficient to keep the movement alive without inviting unacceptable international costs.

The CIA report’s assessment of Pakistan was revealing. 

By 1987, American intelligence believed Pakistan was “most likely training small numbers of Sikh extremists” and permitting them to use Pakistani territory as a sanctuary. 

The CIA assessed that Islamabad was unlikely to dramatically expand its support because President General Zia-ul-Haq remained conscious that overt involvement could damage Pakistan’s improving relationship with Washington during the Soviet-Afghan war.

In other words, the CBI believed Pakistan sought to exert pressure on India while carefully avoiding actions that could trigger a larger confrontation or jeopardise Islamabad's strategic value to Washington.  

The CIA also examined the organisations operating inside Punjab. 

It identified the All India Sikh Students Federation and the Damdami Taksal as the principal extremist groups.

The organisations had become better armed. 

The CIA report stated that these organisations probably received some assistance from Pakistan and that members were believed to have travelled across the border for training. 

It also referred to diplomatic and intelligence reporting suggesting that elements of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence were involved in facilitating support for Sikh extremists.

KPS Gill : Man who did 'miracles' and courted controversies 

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Break from past to woo investors :::: West Bengal Govt to buy land for industries ::::: "we do not want another Nandigram or Singoor"

The decision — the reverse of the Mamata Banerjee government’s hands-off land policy — underscores the Suvendu administration’s willingness to try out new options to tackle a major hurdle to attracting private investment in West Bengal

The state government will “purchase” land directly and transfer it to private companies for industrial projects, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Saturday, signalling the clearest shift yet in the new BJP administration’s approach to industrialisation.   

“We have accepted the direct land purchase policy of 2013…. With this policy, we are giving land to the BSF, railways and the national highways (authority), and for the new airport,” CM Suvendu said after laying the foundation stone for hosiery major Lux Cozi Group’s new manufacturing unit at Dankuni. 

“Under the land purchase scheme, we will directly purchase land and hand it over to you.”

The CM said his government would not want a repeat of the Singur and Nandigram anti-land-acquisition agitations that ended the Left’s 34-year rule and struck a blow to Bengal’s hopes of industrial revival. 

Ironically, these agitations had powered Suvendu’s meteoric rise in politics — as a key Trinamool leader. 

“Kono industry direct land purchase kore amra chai na arekta Nandigram ba Singur hok,” he said.  (By land purchase directly by companies, we do not want another Nandigram or Singoor). 

“It’s our understanding that this government would not stop private land purchase by industry. However, we will await the official announcement of the land policy, likely before the Puja,” an official with a business chamber said.

The Mamata administration, keen on avoiding the political backlash associated with government-led land acquisition, had largely left the task of buying land to private companies. 

However, once the industries acquired land parcels exceeding the statutory landholding limits, the government required them to navigate a cumbersome process under which the land was formally vested in the state before being leased back for industrial use.

Suvendu's reference to “land purchase policy of 2013” is significant.

The then UPA government had promulgated the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, replacing the colonial Land Acquisition Act of 1894 that had been invoked in Singur for the Tata Nano factory.

However, rather than land purchase, this Act provides for land acquisition — a government process under which the landowners are obliged to give up their land, at a pre-fixed rate, while the administration is obligated to show that the acquisition will serve the public good.

Private landholdings in Bengal tend to be small whereas big industry needs large tracts of contiguous land. So, acquisition tends to work better in the state since it denies the landowner the right to refuse.

Mamata’s government never implemented the 2013 Act because it was against land acquisition in principle.

blogger 

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Whatever Will Be ... Will Be :::: Those who admire Vajpayee and yet hate characters such as Syama Prasad Mookerjee must note that former PM was once PA of Jan Sangh founder

In 1951, Syama Prasad Mookerjee founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Two years later, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was handpicked by the man to be his private secretary. 

When Vajpayee became Prime Minister, he made sure that his mentor was celebrated.

In 2000, Vajpayee arrived in Kolkata/Calcutta to inaugurate Mookerjee’s centenary celebrations. The main event was organised at the Netaji Indoor Stadium though chief minister Jyoti Basu was away on a foreign tour. 

In 2001, a special exhibition was inaugurated at the National Archives of India; a commemorative stamp was also released around the time and the list goes on. 

                                               son of famous Bengali educationist Sir Asutosh Mookerjee

 

Vajpayee once famously recalled Mookerjee's final instructions before his 1953 mission to enter Jammu and Kashmir without an official permit:

"Vajpayee, go and tell the countrymen that I have entered Jammu and Kashmir, but I have not taken a permit."   

Pre 2014, when the BJP with Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate started reviewing party iconography, people began hearing more about Mookerjee all over again.  

PM Narendra Modi has always made it known that he is a great fan, admirer and disciple of Mookerjee.  

In the 2013 Lalkar Rally in Jammu, against the backdrop of a discussion on Article 370, Modi invoked Mookerjee.

He reminded people of Mookerjee’s controversial death; he had been arrested when he entered Kashmir in 1953 and thereafter died in detention. 

In one of his early Mann Ki Baat programmes, Modi underlined Mookerjee’s academic brilliance. 

He said, “...very few people would know that he was the youngest vice-chancellor of the University of Calcutta at merely 33 years of age”.

Modi credits Mookerjee for his fight for a unified India, famously echoing his slogan: "Ek desh mein do vidhan, do pradhan, do nishan nahi chalenge" (One country cannot have two constitutions, two prime ministers, and two flags). 

PM also directly linked the abrogation of Article 370 to fulfilling Mookerjee's vision.  

On  July 6, 2026 - 125th birthday of Syama Prasad Mookerjee; PM Namo paid rich tributes and remembered him as a distinguished nation-builder, eminent educationist and visionary leader who dedicated his life to India's unity, dignity and progress.  

"Dr. Mookerjee's contributions spanned diverse spheres. He was an outstanding thinker and educationist, who supported innovation and futuristic learning. As Industries Minister, he laid the foundations of industrial self-reliance while ensuring that traditional sectors and livelihoods flourished. 

His humanitarian efforts during the Bengal Famine reflected his profound compassion for those in distress. Above all, his steadfast commitment to the unity and integrity of India remains an enduring source of inspiration.

As we move forward in our journey towards a Viksit Bharat, his vision continues to illuminate our path," PM tweeted.  

The Chenani-Nashri Tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir was named Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel and a countrywide rural infrastructure programme was named after him too.  

In 2020, Kolkata Port was renamed Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port. 

The National Centre for Drinking Water, Sanitation and Quality in Joka was named after Mookerjee, as was a super specialty hospital and research centre at IIT Kharagpur.  

“He was primarily an educationist,” says Mookerjee’s nonagenarian nephew Chittatosh Mookerjee.

As the vice-chancellor of Calcutta University, Mookerjee introduced Bengali as a medium of instruction, founded diverse departments in science, encouraged the study of social welfare and vocational courses, and started departments in Chinese, Tibetan and Islamic history. 

He also established Calcutta University’s Asutosh Museum of Indian Art to preserve regional heritage. 

“Syama Prasad was a far-sighted politician who had a deep attachment to India’s glorious past. He chose to draw inspiration from Indian traditions rather than from the European philosophies of Karl Marx or John Stuart Mill. 

But he possessed a thorough knowledge of Western political ideas," says Syama Prasad's great grand daughter Debdutta Chakraborty. 

Ms Debdutta is researching Mookerjee’s political journey based on letters, diary entries, photographs and certificates culled from various archives including those preserved in Mookerjee’s private study at the family’s ancestral home in Bhowanipore.

She is granddaughter of Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s  nephew Chittatosh Mookerjee.

The 'ancestral home' building currently houses the Asutosh Mookerjee Memorial Institute or AMMI, a registered educational and cultural society run mostly by family members. 

Debdutta continues, “Although we have donated many documents to the National Archives of India to ensure proper preservation, we still have with us several boxes and cupboards full of papers related to Syama Prasad’s work.”

Debdutta’s niggle is that despite all this historical evidence, Mookerjee has been relegated to the margins of history. She attributes it to the fact that his ideology did not align with “mainstream Nehruvian or Gandhian ideas”. 

She says, “He did not subscribe to the militant politics of Bengal’s revolutionaries, nor did he toe the pro-Axis, anti-British line of certain leaders.”

 

In more ways than one, the British colonisers and their 'secret and not so secret' associates plotted the partition of India. It was also 'conspired' that Assam should go as part of East Pakistan. 

Amongst the galaxy of freedom fighters, if there is one great freedom fighter, we should be thankful to for enabling Assam to remain as a part of India, it is Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

"He shines as a big star. This man’s foresight and fight helped Assam remain in India. Assam was a group-C state and was supposed to be a part of East Pakistan during partition. Dr Syama Prasad Mukherji was a life saviour of the people of our State," wrote MiraNath Bora.

"He saved Assam from being a part of Pakistan when he fought tooth and nail to retain Assam in India and not be included in the partitioned part given to over to Pakistan as part of East Pakistan.

Great freedom fighter Pushpalata Das said that Assam could not have been saved from being merged with East Pakistan by Gopinath Bordoloi alone if Dr Mookerjee did not actively lend his support, strategise and fight for retaining Assam in India," Ms Bora wrote in an article published in website of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation.

Dr Mookerjee also provided adequate security to persecuted Bengalis as long as he was alive.  

As soon as he became Vice Chancellor of Calcutta University in 1935, he introduced Assamese language. He wanted that people of India should appreciate and learn Assamese language so as to know about the history of Assam and the state’s great and brave kings.  

Mookerjee actually joined active politics 'reluctantly' when he was 38. 

In a diary entry, he notes that before that he did not “feel attracted by the noisy and dusty career of a politician”. Chittatosh says, “He joined politics to protect Hindu Bengalis.” He continues, “You have to understand the political context of the 1930s and 1940s. That was a time when Hindus were a minority in Bengal, affected by riots in a Muslim-majority province.”

Debdutta adds, “He felt that the Congress and the Leftists did not counter the rabid Muslim League and failed to protect the interests of the minority Hindu community, especially in East Bengal.”  

A well-known quote by Advani highlighting Mookerjee's movement against Article 370 states:

"He was a visionary who had foreseen the consequences of placing Jammu & Kashmir, a strategically located state, in a separate and tenuous Constitutional relationship with the rest of India."

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