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Poll Time Shambles for Leftist Intellectuals in Assam
Nava Thakuria
Election time is understood for the politicians to make and break news, but in Assam this time some intellectuals drew brickbats ahead of Assembly polls. A group of Assamese intellectuals (read academician, author, socio-cultural activist, journalist etc) suddenly appeared in public space and made an appeal to the electorate not to vote a particular political party in the State polls, which backfired in the alternate media. The group of over 40 intellectuals, led by noted author and former Gauhati University professor Hiren Gohain, organised a press conference on 2 April and urged the voters to vote against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) terming it a ‘fascist and communal’ party on the Assembly elections scheduled and held 4 & 11 April. The anti-BJP campaigners including distinguished poets Nalinidhar Bhattacharya, Nilamoni Phukan with columnists Nirupama Bargohain, Anima Guha, former college principals Udayaditya Bharali, Dinesh Baishya, socio-cultural activists Loknath Goswami, Shivanath Barman, Akhil Ranjan Dutta, Sanjoy Borbora etc termed the saffron party as the ‘primary and biggest enemy of the people’ and urged everyone to prevent the BJP in its march for power at Dispur.
As the Guwahati based satellite news channels beamed the news, harsh reactions against those intellectuals started pouring in the alternate media. The outspoken BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma commented critically against the group saying that they were actually leftist intellectuals (read not neutral intellectuals) and he claimed that the electorate of Assam would never listen to their campaign against the party that is in power at the Centre. Sharp reactions also came from senior journalist Dhirendra Nath Chakrabarty, who termed the appeal of those intellectuals as a paid statement (like paid news in nature). Saraswati Sanman, awardee Assamese author Lakshi Nandan Bora and former bureaucrat Rohini Barua also expressed annoyances that the section of intellectuals unnecessarily tried to diktat the electorate. The debate gained momentum as few more noted citizens came out with resentments against the appeal made by Gohain and his team just two days before the first phase of Assam polls. Acclaimed academician and former Gauhati University vice-chancellor Nirmal Kumar Choudhury with former Assam police chief Nishinath Changkakoti criticized the stand taken by those intellectuals. “Asking people not to vote for a particular party is in itself a threat to democracy. Nobody has the right to issue a fatwa to theelectorate on exercising their franchises. They (Gohain and his team) are trying to mislead the voters on the eve of polling day,” said a statement signed by Choudhury, Changkakoti with few others. They also urged the electorate of the State to come out in large number to give their mandates without any fear or under any influence. Similar appeal was given by non-political organization Loka Jagaran Mancha, which urged everyone to vote to make it a cent percent turnout.
To read the further article please get your copy of Eastrn Panorama April issue @http://www.magzter.com/IN/Hill-Publications/Eastern-Panorama/News/ or mail too contact @easternpanorama.in
