Himanta Biswa Sarma on how Gopinath Bordoloi saved Assam from being part of Pakistan

Remembering Former Assam Chief Minister Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi on his birth anniversary on June 6, Himanta Biswa Sarma shared an old video of him mentioning an excerpt of Bordoloi, in which he ensured that Assam does not become a part of Pakistan. 

In the video, Sarma was seen addressing the public in which he was recollecting one of the many game changing contributions in the nation. 

Sarma said, "In one instance, Bordoloi said in an interview in Jinnah's context that Jinnah could hope to get the moon of the sky but he couldn't hope to put Assam in Pakistan".  

"Gopinath Bordoloi has been immortalised in the Assam history for his steadfast opposition to the grouping proposal brought by the Cabinet Mission in 1946. He was opposed by many other leaders, but Bordoloi resisted till the end," Sarma added in his speech. 

WHO IS GOPINATH BORDOLOI? 

Gopinath Bordoloi was a politician and Indian independence activist. He served as the first Chief Minister of Assam from 1946 to 1950. 

Bordoloi was also the chairman of the North-East Frontier Tribal Areas and Assam Excluded and Partially Excluded Areas Sub-Committee. He believed in Gandhi's principle of non-violence in politics. For his dedication to Assam and its people, the then Governor of Assam, Jayram Das Doulatram, honoured him with the title "Lokpriya" (loved by all).

In 1999, India honoured two people with the Bharat Ratna: Mother Teresa and Gopinath Bordoloi. While many know Mother Teresa, few know about Bordoloi, who played a crucial role in keeping Assam part of India during partition.

Bordoloi was a lawyer, tennis player, and supporter of various activities. He rose in the Congress Party in Assam from the late 1920s until he died in 1950. He faced challenges from Sir Syed Mohammed Saadulla of the Muslim League and succeeded him in 1939. Though Bordoloi's first government lasted only a year due to the Congress' anti-war stance, he later gained power with support from Subhas Chandra Bose and Vallabhbhai Patel.

For nearly seven years, Bordoloi fought to gain political power from the pro-British Saadulla. During this time, the Muslim League introduced policies that harmed Assam, such as the 1941 Land Settlement Policy, which encouraged immigrants from East Bengal to settle in Assam.

Bordoloi fiercely opposed this policy, backed by Mahatma Gandhi, even against Nehru and Patel. Their efforts prevented Assam from being handed over to East Pakistan. The Mission plan as a result collapsed.