Amit Shah Honours Golap Borbora at Centenary, Hails Socialist Vision for Assam

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addressed the birth centenary celebrations of former Assam Chief Minister Shri Golap Borbora in Guwahati, praising him as a leader who upheld socialist values, constitutional integrity, and the voice of the oppressed. The event was attended by Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, and MoS for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, alongside several dignitaries.

Golap Borbora: Voice of the Oppressed and Guardian of Democracy

Shri Shah described Borbora as a leader who embodied socialist ideals and Bhupen Hazarika’s philosophy, “Human is for human, life is for life.”

• He credited Borbora with raising his voice for the deprived, protecting the sanctity of the Constitution, and resisting authoritarianism during the Emergency.

• He recalled that Borbora’s election to the Rajya Sabha by a margin of one vote was made possible by Hazarika’s deciding ballot.

• As Assam’s first non-Congress Chief Minister in 1978, Borbora’s 17-month tenure marked a turning point in the state’s political history.

"Golap Borbora awakened not just Assam’s identity, but the very soul of India residing in Assam," Shri Shah said.

Key Contributions as Chief Minister

Despite his short tenure, Borbora’s governance left lasting legacies:

• Made education free up to 10th standard, establishing 200+ schools in one year.

• Permanently waived land tax for farmers owning up to 10 bighas.

• Opened tea cultivation to small farmers by legalising small tea gardens.

• Set up the Banking Services Recruitment Board and Railway Recruitment Board in Assam, introducing skill-based recruitment locally.

Shri Shah called these reforms historic decisions that empowered workers, farmers, and youth.

Fight Against Infiltration and Electoral Cleansing

Shri Shah hailed Borbora as the first CM to raise awareness against infiltration by cleansing voter rolls. Despite limited resources and no computerization, Borbora removed 36,780 illegal infiltrators from Assam’s rolls.

"If one traces the Assam Movement’s roots, they lie in Borbora’s effort to purify electoral rolls," Shah remarked.

He linked Borbora’s legacy to present-day efforts:

• Assam has freed 1.26 lakh acres of land from infiltrators, including in Kaziranga forests and sattra lands.

• On August 15, 2025, PM Modi announced a High-Power Demographic Changes Mission, inspired by Borbora’s principles, to study demographic shifts and combat infiltration nationwide.

Remembering Overlooked Leaders

Shri Shah contrasted Borbora’s recognition with the selective memorialization of leaders under previous regimes. He noted how leaders like Sardar Patel, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and Gopinath Bordoloi were overlooked until recent years.

"Our public life became narrow-minded. Whoever did good work, irrespective of ideology, deserves respect — and the Assam government has rightly honoured Borbora’s legacy," he said.

Assam’s Socialist Torchbearer

Tracing Borbora’s journey:

• Born into a lineage of labour leaders, his grandfather Komol Borbora led Assam’s first industrial strike.

• Active in Assam’s socialist movement from the 1950s, he dedicated his life to workers, the poor, and backward communities.

• Spent 19 months in jail during the Emergency; arrested nine times post-independence.

• Declared that Northeast India is not outside but the very heart of India.

Linking Legacy to Today’s Assam

Shah praised the Assam Government for:

• Naming a rural development institution after Borbora.

• Planning to spread awareness of his life and work across all districts and tehsils.

He said that Borbora’s qualities of patriotism, socialism, and compassion for the poor should be instilled in youth, shaping Assam’s future.

Final Note

Shri Amit Shah concluded by affirming the government’s resolve to achieve Borbora’s vision of a prosperous, infiltrator-free, and empowered Assam, aligned with the national dream of Viksit Bharat 2047.