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Akhil Gogoi

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Akhil Gogoi
Akhil Gogoi in 2017
NationalityIndian
Organisation(s)Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti
India Against Corruption
Known forIndian anti-corruption movement – 2012,
Indian anti-corruption movement – 2011,
Right to Information
Political partyRaijor Dal, Gana Mukti Sangram Asom
MovementIndian anti-corruption movement

Akhil Gogoi is an Indian peasant leader and RTI activist from Assam. Over the years he has been leading many anti-graft movements in the state. Gogoi came to national attention after he was awarded the Shanmugam Manjunath Integrity Award in 2008 for his relentless fight against corruption[1] In 2010, he was awarded the national Right to Information Award by Public Cause Research Foundation ( for his role in exposing a 12.5 million scam in Sampoorna Gram Rozgar Yojna in the Golaghat district of Assam.[2] Gogoi is the founder Secretary of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS)- a left wing peasant organisation based in Assam.

Early life

Gogoi attended the Cotton College, Guwahati during 1993–1996, where he studied English literature. He served as the general secretary and magazine secretary of the college students union. Soon he joined the United Revolutionary Movement Council of Assam(URMCA), a mass organisation of CPI-ML-PCC under the leadership of naxalite leader Santosh Rana.[3] However, by the end of the 1990s he broke with Rana and devoted himself as an editor of Natun Padatik, an independent Marxist journal published in Assamese, along with Dr Hiren Gohain.

Anti big dam

Since mid-2009, Gogoi has been leading a statewide movement against construction of big dams in the ecologically sensitive regions of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. In particular, his organisation KMSS demands immediate halt to the ongoing construction of the dam of Lower Subansiri, a mega hydroelectric power project under NHPC with an estimated capacity of 2000 MW.[4]

In December 2011, huge number of anti-big dam protestors led by Gogoi stopped trucks transporting parts of turbines to the Lower Subansiri Hydro-electric Power Project site in Gerukamukh, Lakhimpur district.[5]

Crusader against corruption

For some time, he was also associated with Anna Hazare led anti-graft campaign India against Corruption. However, he broke with IAC after some of the members decided to form a political party. Explaining his reasons to resign from IAC, Gogoi said that the support IAC had received was only for building up a strong and sustained mass movement against rampant corruption, and not floating an election centred political party.[6]

"Maoist" controversy

In April 2010, a secret report of the Assam government alleged that Akhil Gogoi had close connections with CPI-Maoist.[7] Gogoi challenged the report and dared the Assam government to prove the allegation.[8] Intellectuals across the country including Magsaysay Award Winner Sandeep Pandey and Medha Patkar condemned the government for trying to implicate the activist.[9] In an interview with NDTV, Akhil Gogoi said, "I am a Marxist and I do believe in social transformation. But I am not a Maoist. They don't believe in mass activities. We at KMSS are trying to organise the masses for radical change.But the attempt of the government to implicate me as a Maoists shows their frustration because they have been unable to contain the growing popularity of KMSS".[10][11] It created an embarrassment for the Assam government and the matter was dropped thereafter.

Peasant cooperatives

In 2013, Gogoi and his comrades in KMSS established a number of provisional retail outlets in different parts of Guwahati city to facilitate direct access of rural peasantry with urban markets. Claiming it as an alternative to FDI in Retail as well as mafia-run-syndicates, Gogoi and his organisation expressed their plans to open more outlets in the city on a permanent basis. These outlets will be run by the peasants themselves and will sell agrarian products on a drastically lower price, removing the middleman in between. On the very first day of the opening of the outlets, more than hundred quintals of vegetables were reported to be sold within a few hours.[12]

Notable activities

In 2014 Gogoi initiated a campaign against the land Mafia who had appropriated thousand of acres of agricultural land in rural Kamrup district, adjoining Guwahati city. Govt is presently investigating the matter based on the allegations of Akhil Gogoi.[citation needed]

In 2015, Gogoi and KMSS formed a new political organisation Gana Mukti Sangram Asom, during the bi-annual conference of KMSS.

In 2017, during the 5th bi-annual Conference of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, Gogoi announced that the party would contest in the next elections.

On 12 December 2019, Gogoi was taken into custody in relation to the ongoing Citizenship Amendment Act protests.[13]

On 2 October 2020, Gogoi launched a new political party Raijor Dal with the help of 70 indigenous organisations of Assam.[14]

See also

Further reading

  • Forest Land and Peasant Struggles in Assam 2002–2007 by Arupjyoti Saikia[15]

References

  1. ^ "Akhil Gogoi receives award from Kiron Bedi". Assam Times. Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  2. ^ TI Trade (29 November 2009). "The Assam Tribune Online". Assamtribune.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  3. ^ Upmanyu, Kabir (15 September 2017). "Activist for Many Causes: Akhil Gogoi Now Arrested for Sedition". TheQuint. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Who is Akhil Gogoi? : North, News – India Today". Indiatoday.intoday.in. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  5. ^ India, Press Trust of (2 December 2011). "Protestors block transport of turbines for hydel project". @businessline. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  6. ^ Sushanta Talukdar (5 August 2012). "News / National : Akhil Gogoi opposes Team Anna's decision". The Hindu. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  7. ^ "Anti-corruption activist a 'Maoist' in Assam report". Indian Express. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  8. ^ "Assam govt brands RTI activist as Maoist – India News – IBNLive". Ibnlive.in.com. 6 April 2010. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  9. ^ "India's Independent Weekly News Magazine". Tehelka. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  10. ^ "News " Videos". NDTV. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  11. ^ ndtv (31 March 2011). "Akhil Gogoi under scanner". YouTube. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  12. ^ "Akhil gives ray of hope to Assam farmers". Assam News. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  13. ^ PTI (12 December 2019). "Peasant leader Akhil Gogoi arrested in Assam's Jorhat". India Today. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  14. ^ "Assam: Jailed activist Akhil Gogoi's KMSS announces new political party ahead of elections". Scroll.in. 3 October 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  15. ^ Saikia, Arupjyoti (2008). "Forest land and peasant struggles in Assam, 2002–2007". Journal of Peasant Studies. 35 (1): 39–59. doi:10.1080/03066150801983402.
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