Nibaran Bora

From WikiAssam

Nibaran Bora (1921-2005) was a multifaceted political personality, known for his uncompromising political activism. A socialist, nationalist and an intellect all rolled into one, his lasting legacy was the Assam Movement, which he and some others gave an initial shape before the leadership went into a different set of hands. Known for his strong intellectual integrity, self-sacrifice, complete disregard for self-aggrandizement and love for Assam and its peoples, he was nevertheless unable to form lasting associations with either people or movements. This prevented him from following through with his ideas. An arresting public speaker, he could enthrall audiences with speeches on politics as well as poetry. His phenomenal memory, eye for detail and knowledge of the Indian Constitution made many a High Court bench listen to his arguments on constitutional matters, even though he was not a trained lawyer.

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Biography

Nibaran Bora was born on April 26, 1921 in Srimangalpur, Slyhet in present-day Bangladesh, to Narayan Bora, the then security officer of Srimangalpur. He was educated in Gordon High School, Nalbari; Cotton Collegiate, Guwahati; Cotton College, Guwahati and Calcutta and Lahore Universities. He began indulging in political activities during his student years.

He died on January 6, 2005 at Guwahati due to respiratory illness, and leaves behind wife Kiranmoyi Bora, three sons and two daughters. Another son, who was a member of ULFA, has been missing since the early 1990s.

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Political Activism

Nibaran Bora became a student activist in 1942 and the secretary of the Congress Socialist Party (established by Jayaprakash Narayan, Ram Mohan Lohia and others) in 1957. He was famously arrested and interned in Dibrugarh jail on August 15, 1947, the day India attained independence, for leading an agitation of the tea garden laborers of Tini Ali Tea Estate. In 1962, he was one of the prominent politicians involved in the Language Movement. As the general secretary of the Locomen's Federation, he lead the Railway Movement in 1972, and in 1975, he was arrested during the Emergency declared by Indira Gandhi and imprisoned for 19 months. In 1977, Bora launched a political party, Purbanchaliya Loka Parishad (PLP), that first articulated the problem of foreigners' influx in Assam. The issue gave birth to the Assam Movement in 1979, under the leadership of the AASU and AAGSP. Bora was one of the first eight leaders who were arrested in this connection. He was imprisoned in Bhagalpur in Bihar, away from family and political associates. Even though he was one of the forefathers of the movement, he vehemently opposed the Assam Accord that brought an end to it in 1985.

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Legal Scholarship

Untrained formally in legal matters, he was nevertheless considered a legal heavy weight and has deposed before the Guwahati High Court bench on many a constitutional matter. He has moved many a public interest litigation (PIL).

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Books

  • Looking Back
  • Swadhin Asomor Sombhabona
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References

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