Guwahati (Assam) [India], August 29 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday participated in the birth centenary celebration of Golap Borbora, the first non-Congress Assam Chief Minister, and highlighted his significant contributions to the state's political and social landscape.
Addressing the event, Shah remarked, "When Golap Borbora became the first non-Congress Chief Minister of Assam in 1978, it was the beginning of a very big change in the political history of Assam. Despite making many mistakes in the post-independence era, no non-Congress chief minister was elected here till 1978. And for the first time, Golap Borbora left an indelible mark..."
Praising the Assam BJP government for celebrating the birth centenary of Golap Borbora, Shah said, "I congratulate Hemant Biswa and the BJP Assam govt because, since Indira Gandhi took charge of the country, the contribution of any person other than her family has not been given a platform or respect in the country... In such a large country, many people from diverse cultures have contributed to the country's progress, but they were neither respected nor did they receive a platform."
Shah noted, "Golap Borbora was a leader who was the first to go to jail during the Emergency and the last to come out of jail. He was kept in jail for a full 19 months... He became the non-Congress Chief Minister of Assam for a very short period, but in that brief tenure, he made some decisions that will be remembered by the people of Assam for years. He made education up to the 10th standard free for the first time in Assam so that even the poorest of the poor could access education. He worked to set up more than 200 educational institutions in a year..."
Shah also highlighted Borbora's economic contributions, stating, "Golap Borbora's small tea garden policy enabled farmers, not landlords, to profit from tea farming. He established the Banking Service Recruitment Board and Railway Recruitment Board in Assam, securing jobs for locals in banks and railways. Some initiatives, though undercelebrated, significantly contribute to a state's development."
On Thursday night, Sarma said in a X post, "Tomorrow, Adarniya @AmitShah
ji will lead us in celebrating the life and times of its beloved son and 6th Chief Minister, Shri Golap Borobora on his birth centenary. A freedom fighter, voice of civil liberties and a true patriot, he led the State with example and commitment."
https://x.com/himantabiswa/status/1961116252010942815
Golap Borobora led a Janata Party government in the state from March 12, 1978, to September 4, 1979.