After 75 years, rare Gopinath Bordoloi tribute gets Assamese edition
Published after his death, the 1952 edition was a tribute, compiling reflections & articles by several of India’s leaders
Guwahati, Aug 4: The first President of Independent India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, held Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi, the first chief minister of Assam, in the highest regard.
“Shri Bordoloi was one of those rare individuals who endured persecution and hardship to help free India from British rule, devoting his entire life to public service, selflessly and without concern for his own family,” Dr Prasad once wrote in a message for a souvenir published in 1952.
That souvenir, titled ‘Bordoloi Smriti Granth’, was originally published in Hindi by Akela Publications, Tinsukia, under the initiative of Bishwanath Prasad Gupta, a noted Hindi journalist of the time. Now, after 75 years, the Assamese version of the book is being published by Jeevan Ram Mungi Devi Goenka Public Charitable Trust in collaboration with Anwesha Publication.
“He was a man of great skill and deep devotion, yet remained humble throughout his life,” Dr Prasad further noted in his tribute.
Published immediately after Gopinath Bordoloi’s death, the 1952 Hindi edition was a heartfelt tribute, compiling reflections and articles by several of India’s most prominent national leaders. These included Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Acharya Kaka Saheb Kalelkar (a social reformer, journalist, and freedom fighter), Sri Prakasa (former Governor of Assam, Madras and Bombay), Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya (first Governor of Madhya Pradesh), Govind Ballabh Pant (India’s fifth Union Home Minister), Jairamdas Daulatram (former Union Minister of Agriculture), Humayun Kabir (former Union Education Minister), and Jagjivan Ram (India’s fourth Deputy Prime Minister).
Gopinath Bordoloi stood as a peer among these towering figures of modern India. The article by Kakasaheb Kalelkar in the original book is described as deeply significant.
“I am blessed to present this book under the title Bharat Ratna Gopinath Bardoloi to the readers. In fact, this is an expression of my respect and devotion to Gopinath Bardoloi,” said Shankar Lall Goenka, managing trustee of the Jeevan Ram Mungi Devi Goenka Public Charitable Trust, speaking to The Assam Tribune.
“It is because of Gopinath Bardoloi that Assam is a part of India today. Without him, we would be under Pakistan. The book is a testament to how Bardoloi fought for the liberation of the country, saved Assam from being annexed to East Bengal, and worked tirelessly to strengthen harmony among the diverse communities of the hills and plains.”
The 228-page Assamese edition also features rare photographs of Gopinath Bordoloi and will be formally released on Tuesday, August 5 — his death anniversary — by Assam education minister Ranoj Pegu at the Srimanta Madhabdeva International Auditorium in Guwahati.
Former Assam chief ministers Bishnuram Medhi and Bimala Prasad Chaliha also shared their personal recollections of Gopinath Bordoloi in messages featured in the book.
In one particularly touching anecdote, Bolin Bordoloi — the youngest son of Gopinath Bordoloi — recalled how, during his father’s tenure as chief minister, his elder brother Dhiren Bordoloi struggled to arrange Rs 200 for admission to Assam Medical College. He also remembered how their mother had to take a loan to build their house in Ulubari.