I don’t support ULFA, but I’m hurt by what Himanta Biswa Sarma did to me: Barshashree Buragohain

On July 22, after spending more than two months in jail, 18-year-old college student Barshashree Buragohain from Banai Katarikham village in Assam’s Jorhat district stepped out of prison after the Gauhati High Court had granted her bail. Assam police had arrested the B.Sc second-semester student on May 18 for writing a poem allegedly supporting the banned outfit ULFA (I). In the poem, she had mentioned the word “treason” (rashtradroh) and was charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

In the first ever interview after her release, Buragohain speaks exclusively to India Today NE Deputy Editor Afrida Hussain and shares her views on a range of issues, including ULFA (I), her idea of treason and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Edited excerpts from the interview.

Q. Do you support ULFA (I), which is engaged in an armed struggle against India, demanding an independent Assam?

A. No, I don’t support ULFA (I).

Q. But it’s alleged that you wrote the poem in support of ULFA (I).

A. No, I did not write the poem in support of ULFA (I). I regularly write poems and the two sentences came out in flow. It did not mean what it was interpreted to be.

Q. What did you mean by rashtradroh (treason)?

A. When I used the word rashtradroh, I did not actually mean treason. In the first sentence, I wrote about walking towards an independent sunlight. I wrote rashtradroh just to emphasise the essence of freedom. I did not realise that this word will turn out to be unconstitutional.

Q. What’s your future plan?

A. I want to be a good teacher.

Q. Do you feel proud as an Indian?

A. Yes, I do.

Q. Your parents thanked Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma for your release. But the police under him only arrested you.

A. Yes, they did thank him. Maybe, he understood later that I was not at fault. I just wrote a poem. So, our family, including me, remains thankful to him. But I can’t forget the injustice he did to me. I don’t need to explain how painful it was for a girl of my age to spend two months in jail. I’m really hurt for what he made me go through.

Q. How was the experience in jail?

A. It was an unexpected experience. For first 20 days I kept crying. I was desperate to see my family. Then I started consoling myself. I told myself that I would get out one day as I did no wrong.