It would seem a little ironical that when regional parties are flexing muscles and coming into their own everywhere, one of the most original of their species, the Assom Gana Parishad (AGP) is in its death throes. Once among the most powerful of regional entities which did two terms in Assam and acquired political baptism at the back of a popular six-year anti-foreigner agitation, AGP’s story is one of sharp decline, bitter divisions, rancor and unfulfilled promises.
After the signing of Assam Accord in 1985 between then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), AGP under the youthful leadership of Prafulla kumar Mahanta came to power in the assembly election of 1985. But even before completing its first tenure the central government imposed Presidents’ Rule in November, 1990. In the assembly election, 1991, the AGP lost out to the resurgent Congress under the leadership of veteran Hiteswar Saikia.
Most analysts believe that disillusionment set in when AGP leaders were unable to pay their debt to those who had made sacrifices; like the 855 youth from Dispur who lost their lives in the name of Assam agitation, whose families were never compensated despite much lip service.
The AGP got another chance in assembly elections, 1996. The second tenure of AGP leaders turned out to be worse; not only were promises not kept, but the once-youthful leaders stood accused of that old bugbear of most Indian politicians – filling up personal coffers.
In 2001, the golden days for AGP came to an end. It was unable to perform in either panchayati, assembly or the Lok Sabha elections. In the recently-held Guwahati Municipal Corporation, it has yet again been virtually decimated.
In its three-decade old history, AGP was divided more than four times. First, a faction under the leadership of AGP co-founder Bhrigu Phukan and Brindaban Goswami became Natun Asom Gana Parishad (NAGP). Later former PWD minister Atul Bora floated the Trinamool Gana Parishad (TGP) while the current president and former chief minister Pafulla Mahanta set up the AGP (Progressive) in 2004 from what was left over rump of the original party. An attempt to reunite all factions was undertaken seriously when the party attempted to come together in 2010 at its birth place Golaghat under the leadership of Chandra Mohan Patuwary, but but now the rot has now run too deep.
Recently pro-AGP intellectuals in Assam under the leadership of writer and columnist Homen Borgohain set out to discuss the future of AGP at Silpagram. The meeting appealed to the party leadership to make suitable changes – if possible, even rename the party.
They reached similar conclusions. From 2001 onwards, the party is seen to have lost the mandate because they had ‘betrayed’ the people what they had promised in 1985.
Says senior journalist and editor of Sankarjyoti, Dhirendra Nath Chakraborty, ‘‘When we repair our home we change its main pillar. Like our home, we should change the main pillar of the party, President Prafulla Mahanta who has no credibility left. The people of Assam will never accept these betrayers. The only way to revive the party is to change the leadership and involve new people. AGP is not a personal property of some individual. It was formed on the bloods of 855 martyrs.’’
Others in the party hold similar views. Sitting MLA from the Satiya constituency Padma Hazarika believes that ‘‘Prafulla Mahanta is blind because he is surrounded by his so called ‘followers’ who only want positions in the party, aware that they may never come to power again. Regionalism does not only mean the AGP. People will decide what type of regionalism they want in the coming days. We are sure to get answers.’’
Despite the intellectuals’ appeal and the ire of party comrades, Prafulla Mahanta remains unmoved. ‘‘A change of the party name is not possible because we have to follow its constitution. The executive committee which was formed last year was formed democratically.I do not think changing the leadership treating it like a musical chair, will help. But we will take up their suggestions at the next the executive meeting which will be held at the end of this month.’’
Meanwhile, the splintering of the AGO continues unabated. Former PWD Minister and founder leader Atul Bora and former spokesman and general secretary Apurba Bhattacharya, have joined BJP and Congress respectively. Two former AASU presidents Prabin Bodo and Sarbananda Sonowal are in BPF and BJP respectively with the latter as the state BJP president.
Former ministers Hitendra Nath Goswami, Ramendra Narayan Kalita and Jagadish Bhuyan, Jayanth Sarma and Jatin Mali, sitting MP Birendra Prasad Baishya, MLA Padma Hazarika and president of woman wing Queen Oza have resigned from the party executive and become primary members.
Brindaban Goswami who began ‘Asthar Asom’ under his leadership and tried to take along all ethnic communities, says he is now concentrating only on his constituency Tezpur. ‘‘I do not want to involve myself in party-related activities because I know if I raise my voice against the leadership, I might be in danger.’’
Such sentiments do not augur well for a party bracing up for the 2014 general elections, but some regrets are in order. Says former AGP leader Hitendra Nath Goswami: ‘‘We were given the chance to serve the people and to fight together for our rights because the ASDC (Autonomous State Demand Committee, the regional party of Karbi Anglong ) was our partner in the first tenure and I remember Upendra Nath Brahma, whom Bodos treated as their God, had come to meet us to discuss their demands but we failed. It is because of our neglect that these ethnic groups have gone away from us leaving us with no base in areas like Kokrajhar,Karbi Anglong and the tea belt.’’
A point well taken but the main issue at stake is this: who will convince Prafulla Mahanta because at the moment, he could not care less for the election outcome or the future of the party.
