Skip to content Skip to navigation

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


Comments

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.

Pages

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

Violence revisits: Vehicle set on fire

16 Aug 2012 - 10:43pm | editor
There is report of fresh violence in BTAD areas. The violence broke out in Baksa district when police opened fire at the mob on Thursday morning. Police opened fire to disperse mob which had...

Viswakarma puja underway

18 Sep 2015 - 11:19am | AT News
Assam observes Viswakarma Puja across the state with traditional religious farvour on Friday marking the beginning of the puja season. Factories, industrial units laboratories along with a section of...

Assam LS polls in 3 phases

5 Mar 2014 - 11:09am | AT News
Assam will go to the Lok Sabha polls in three phases.Disclosing this at a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath on Wednesday, he said that the state would hold the polls on April 7...

Pig feed Distribution & awarness programme held

30 Jan 2021 - 2:24pm | Bidyut Sarkar
Goalpara KVK in collaboration with the Indian Centre for Agricultural Research Organised a Pig feed Distribution & awarness programme on scientific technical aspects of pig rearing at Bodofa UN...

Other Contents by Author

Udalguri district administration has completed all the arrangements for the peaceful conduct of the LS poll in the district under 8 Mangaldai HPC on April 24.According to Sadhana Hojai, District Election Officer cum Deputy Commissioner, Udalguri,three LAC namely- 64 Paneri,69 Udalguri (ST) and 70 Mazbat are ready for poll. Polling stations have been arranged and security has been tightened up in the district. LAC wise numbers of voters are-1,21,577 (male-62,857 female- 58,720) in 64 Paneri; 1,25,545 (male-64,287 female-61,258) in 69 Udalguri (ST) and 1,20,724 (male-63,369 female-57,355) in 70 Mazbat LAC.There are 3 zones (23 sectors) in 64 Paneri LAC; 2 zones (23 sectors) in 69 Udalguri...
A high level delegation of Udalguri district administration visited Sapangaon JFMC (Joint Forest Management Committee)forest near Indo-Bhutan border at Sapangaon on April 9 recently to study and suggest its up gradation to an eco-tourism hot spot. The delegation included Sadhana Hojai,Deputy Commissioner,Udalguri; Girindra Adhikari,DFO, Raju Kumar Brahma,ACF of Dhansiri Forest Division and Jayanta Kumar Das, Hony. Wildlife Warden,Assam.The delegation along with the visiting environmental workers visited the 5 Sq KM picturesque man-made forest and had a discussion with the JFMC members and media persons to chalk out measures to make JFMC Sapangaon a world famous place of positive...
So said eminent scholar and writer of Assam Homen Borgohain at a felicitation ceremony in Borangajuli Satra at Dimakuchi on April 8. Borgohain was felicitated at Sankari Kala Kristi Bhawan,Dimakuchi along with writer Thaneswar Malakar (former DC,Udalguri) and noted businessman Mohan Jalan owner of JBs group.They had an interactive session with Bhakat Siromoni Harekrishna Mahanta Ata,founder of Borangajuli Satra and winner of Pitambar Debgoswami National Award at 11 am. Borgohain also planted a sapling at the Satra premises before the felicitation ceremony. Borgohain and other two people were felicitated with gamocha,japi,xorai and arnai each. Noted writer Thaneswar Malakar thanked...
In view of the ensuing LS poll in the state election commission has engaged students to create awareness among voters to franchise their valuable votes for a stronger democracy. On the occasion Udalguri district administration organised debate competition at various schools and colleges on April 4 in the district.The topic of the debate was “Right to vote is basic duty of a citizen”(for school level) and “Why should I cast the vote” (for college level.Schools of Kalaigaon organised debate competition among students. On April 5, students of various schools of Kalaigaon namely- Kalaigaon Girls HS, Kalaigaon Secondary School, Bholabari HS, Sunjwrang HS,Tengabari HS,Kalaigaon Madrasa HS took...
By an order Sadhana Hojai, District Magistrate of Udalguri has imposed several restrictions and prohibitory orders including Sec 144 under CRPC in the district and banned pillion riding to prevent anti social activities during and before LS poll. However doctors, woman, children below five years and media persons with valid identity have been exempted.
Training of presiding and polling officers concluded in 64 Paneri LAC on Tuesday.The day long training session was held at Tangla HS School.149 designated presiding officers were given training on the use EVM in the morning session while 199 numbers of first polling officials were given poll training in the afternoon session.The raining was conducted by 14 master trainers. Already 23 numbers of sector officers have been busy in making poll arrangement in Paneri LAC.The poll training schedule was supervised by D.Dutta.in-charge of EVM cell and training cell of the district.The first phase of training of poll personnels took place at Orang HS School on March 24 for 70 Mazbat LAC under 8...
Incredible, but true. Nearly 6000 people of 926 families, inhabitants of three villages namely- Laika Pomua,Laika Pasidia and Laika Rigobi in the core area of Dibru-Saikhowa National Park are still living in primitive life style. They see electricity, hospitals, banks, markets, vehicles, roads etc only in dreams. The seriously ill people die a natural death as they never see a doctor in the far remote lands surrounded by rivers. If you want to visit these forbidden lands,start from Tinsukia to Guijan Ghat on the bank of Diboru river. There at the Guijan Forest Range office you can meet KK Kachari, hard working wildlife loving Range Officer of Guijan Range. You can stay or be refreshed in...
Keeping in view of the ensuing LS poll in the district,Udalguri district administration has completed all the formalities for the smooth conduct of the LS poll in the district on April 24 under 8 Mangaldai LSC. A special press meet was held at the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioners office on March 7, where media persons of the district were informed of the election related activities. The meeting was presided over by Sadhana Hojai,Deputy Commissioner of the district. On the occasion she told media that three LACs namely 64 Paneri, 69 Udalguri (ST) and 70 Mazbat would be under her administration while 65 Kalaigaon LAC would be controlled by Darrang administration. According to her...
Hari Prasad Sarma (45) headmaster of Atharikhat Khoirajhar ME school in Udalguri district has been shot dead my miscreants at 5 am today. According to information three miscreants pumped three bullets from AK series rifle in his school field in the very morning. The miscreants had called the headmaster to the school field for urgent discussion befor shooting him to death. Family members pointed finger at extremist outfits while police said that it was done by a criminal gang. AAGU and AGS condemned the killing of the HM and accused extremist outfits responsible for killing of the HM.The incident creates sensation in the district before the LS poll.
Sitaution is returning fast in and around Kalaigaon area following the tragic incident of attack due to mistaken identity,where 19 people sustained injury at Udmari near Kalaigaon in the wee hours of February 27. District administration of Udalguri and Darrang have taken tough preventive steps to curb violence in both the districts. So far more than 15 people have been arrested and are now in judicial custody. Sadhana Hojai,newly appointed Deputy Commissioner of Udalguri district along with Dibakar Doley,ADC and SR Mili,SP in-charge of Udalguri have visited Kalaigaon several times since the incident.She has been meeting representatives of various organisations and common people requesting...