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I-Day feeling of a forgotten freedom fighter


Nation wide preparations to celebrate country's 64th I-Day with pomp and gaiety have been on everywhere. Ministers,high ranking civil and police officials have had a tough time to make the celebration a success. Far away from all these hectic activities, a 95 year old freedom fighter has other ideas in mind.He feels that their dream of a free and peaceful India had been shattered. He is sad at the loss of qualities like morality and dedication among the leaders for which they had sacrificed their prime youths 75 years back.


Pani Ram Das, one of the few renowned living freedom fighters of Assam,who had spend more than two years in British prison,now at the age of 95 years recounts his old days of struggle sitting in his Ashram at Kalaigaon. He was born in a poor family in Jajjali village in Darrang district on April 7 in 1917.Being a very sharp student he passed the matriculation examination in 1937 in first division from Calcutta university. Defying a brilliant personal career he joined freedom struggle to be send to British prison on several occasions. Pani Ram Das had a clear vision on his mission to make the nation free and prosperous. So he did not join politics like his colleagues and established an Ashram at Kalaigaon to work for poor and needy.


Pani Ram Das is now forgotten by the society.When asked his feeling on the occasion of I-Day he said with regret that sacrifice of thousands had ben forgotten by the country. People hardly understand the meaning of dedication and sacrifice not to speak of the significance of the Tricolor. He is sad when hears of the thousand corer scam; enhancement of the salary of the MLAs; frequent unnecessary foreign trip of the leaders; frequent bomb blasts at public places etc. He narrated a few examples of the past great leaders whose priority was peoples welfare only. In one such incident Sardar Ballav Bhai Patel (first home minister of India) had refused to attend a felicitation ceremony in USA,saying that he was busy with the people of India and could not spare time for the felicitation ceremony. On another occasion when Bimala Prasad Chaliha (CM of Assam) was seriously ill was advised by doctors to attend a hospital in USA for better treatment. Chaliha too refused the proposal on the ground that state financial position was not sound to support his trip.


Pani Ram Das is of the opinion that country is not safe at the hands of present day politicians. He appeals people to raise their voice against all kinds of violence and corruption practices. He concludes his comment with his favorite quotation :


“I seek neither kingdom nor Heaven nor even salvation;


I see the deliverance of afflicted from affliction”. -Najrul Islam


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Jayanta Kumar Das's picture

Environmental journalist.

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Parthasarathi Konwar's picture

15 August, Independence day. There will be government celebrations in Delhi. Ministers, bureaucrats will attend the official ceremonies in different parts of India. Film and TV actors will perform in shows and pre-recorded programs. Radio will blare out patriotic songs. TV will put up films based on patriotic melodrama. The same euphoria is generated when India and Pakistan is at war. The people of India are carried away by the propaganda and made to feel one with the dictats of the decision makers in the North Block in New Delhi during times of external aggression and border skirmishes. But what about the sharing of concern during times of ‘Peace’? Lets take a look at the brotherhood of Indians in India. Inter-state marriages and national integration camps are superficial, momentary exercises which fade away once the event is over. These incidents are like the predictions of India-Pakistan unity because of Sania Mirza-Shoaib Akhtar marriage party. Its time we delve deeper and understand core issues. A tamil in Chennai is least bothered about the emotions and aspirations, the curfew in Kashmir. A Gujarati hardly understands the pain of a farmer in Singrur, West Bengal. A Marathi doesn’t share the anguish and anxiety of Assam over the construction of mega dams in the north-eastern state. No two or more states have unitedly stood against dictats of the power corridors in Delhi. This is the unfortunate Indian Reality.

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