GUWAHATI, Oct 26 � Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) secretary Akhil Gogoi received the Indian Youth Leader award instituted by the TV channel CNN-IBN at a function at the New Delhi Taj Hotel last night. Chairman of the Unique Identification Project Nandan Nilekarni presented the award to Gogoi and seven others selected for the award.
In the seminar on the role of the youth that preceded the award giving ceremony, noted social worker Arvind Kejriwal lauded the role played by KMSS in leading a social movement. KMSS adviser Dr Akhil Ranjan Dutta, its working president Pabitrabrata Daimary and secretary Akhil Gogoi attended the seminar, which was also attended by industrialist Naveen Jindal, Olympian Rajyavardhan Rathore, among others. The deliberations were compered by Rajdeep Sardesai of the CNN-IBN.
Accepting the award, Gogoi alleged that the corporate houses have been exploiting all the resources of the country and pushing the common people to penury. Violating the provision of the Constitution of the country they have been leading the country towards a unitary system.
In the North East region of the country, a neo-colonial mode of exploitation has been sought to be applied and States have been denied their right over water. He made an appeal to the Jindal group to withdraw from the NE hydel projects and this provoked Naveen Jindal to claim that theirs are the run-of-the-river projects and hence they could not create any adverse impact.
Gogoi refused to subscribe the view of Naveen Jindal and read out the recommendations of the expert group that studied the downstream impact of the Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Project. This could draw applause from the audience. Gogoi�s reference to his anti-corruption movement in Assam also drew applause from the audience, said a KMSS press release.
