Lurin Jyoti Gogoi, Assam's new regional protagonist, thunders at BJP beside mighty Brahmaputra

GUWAHATI: "If you are being given free rice, remember that you are consuming potatoes for Rupees 60 per kilo, Onions for Rupees 80 per kilo," Assam's latest regional protagonist Lurin Jyoti Gogoi thundered on the banks of the Brahmaputra river, to scattered applause from a curious audience that had turned up to see what 'regionalism' looks like.

On the day that the BJP had organized a massive rally in Barak to cement its capture of the Valley, a far less remarkable gathering was held in Guwahati's Machkhowa -- the hub of intellectuals. A gathering comprising poets, intellectuals, and the creme-de-la-creme of Assamese society turned up on a lazy winter afternoon near the Saraighat -- the site of a great victory over the invading Mughal forces -- to hear wordsmith Lurin Jyoti Gogoi churn out his words.

Lurin did that with extreme precision -- each word was carefully weighed and he spoke of "hope", "dreams", and development."

The concept of communal harmony -- seemingly discarded by the ruling dispensation in favor of strong-arm politics -- was at the Centrestage today. "They (the ruling party) have divided us along communal lines. However, that ideology has been completely discarded by the current generation. In fact, it has been discarded by everyone in Assam," Lurin said at one point, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.

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Indeed, when the ex-AASU General Secretary was sworn in as the President of the new regional party, he promised to "unite" Assam under a single banner. Today, his message was more or less the same. That an Assam led by the AJP would never kowtow in front of the powers in Delhi, and etch out a unique identity derived from a glorious past "when Assam had the highest GDP."

"Assam is now among the bottom 5 States in terms of the GDP.. Who is responsible for the current downfall of the State?" he asked, rhetorically.

Apart from the CAA, he said, the party will focus on a range of issues -- be it educational, social, or institutional. "The problems of flood and erosion have also got to be dealt with", he said at one point, going on to explain, in scientific terms, what exactly needs to be done, leaving some of the onlookers awestruck.

Lurin, delivering an impassioned speech in front of a setting sun beside the mighty river more than once stated that "no compromise" would be the new motto of the new party, which has the CAA as it's major poll plank. Gogoi yearned for a return back to a regional roots of Assam so that the myriad people belonging to the State can "present themselves proudly on the world stage."

Jagadish Bhuyan, once an AGP upstart turned seasoned proponent of regional elements in Assam, thundered against the ruling dispensation and lamented the 'CAA' and other anti-Assamese elements that have permeated society.

MLA Pabindra Deka, formerly of the AGP, thundered against his old party that has upset the regional elements within it and compared it to Mughals. "They are Mughals," he said in a fit of rage, voice trembling. "They are Mughal for they have cast their lot with Amit Shah and PM Modi, who are also Mughal," he said, looking directly at the mammoth statue of Lachit, stranded in the middle of the mighty river as Assam soon heads for another Battle of Saraighat.

By: Rana Pratap Saikia

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