Upendranath Brahma
Encyclopedia
Upendranath Brahma was a Bodoland
political leader.
, a small township at Kokrajhar
District of Assam
, India
. He was the son of Monglaram Brahma and Lefsri Brahma. He was the fifth child of their parents. He was the youngest. He was called "Thopen" during his childhood. His parents was very poor. As he had no sufficient, he had to work as Adhiari on others land. Upen grew up in the midst of poverty.
In 1963, Upen was admitted at Mokrapara L.P. School. Upen studied at Mokrapara L.P.School for the first five years during the sessions 1963-68. He passed the final examination of L.P. School in 1968 with merit scholarship. In 1968, Upen was admitted to Dotma Middle School. He studied Class IV, V, VI there during the sessions 1968-1971. Upen joined Dotma High School and studied Class VII AND VIII. Upen also studied at Kokrajhar High School and his result was impressive. Upen studied at Sakti Ashram High and Vocational School under the guidance of Swamiji in 1973. Upen studied by borrowing books from friends and from one bookstall name Sriguru Library. In 1975, Upen passed the matriculation examination in the first division with letter marks in Mathematics. He secured 67% marks in the examination. After Matriculation he studied Pre-University with science and B.sc with Honours in Physics in Cotton College
and he stayed in the Third Mess Hostel. After passing the B.sc. examination in 1981, he too admission in the Guwahati University for his M.sc. degree and was alloted a seat in the RCC-1 hostel of the university. Upen also served as a graduate science teacher at the Nehru Vocational High School, Gossainichina. He also studied B.A. at Kokrajhar College
with Bodo MIL during that period. In 1985 he passed B.A. from that college. Upen passed M.sc. in 1986. He also did take admission in LLB course in 1984 but his Law study ended abruptly due to ragging done to him at AT-9 hostel of the university.
had little or no influence in Assam politics. He observed no job opportunities for Bodo students, once they completed their studies. Jobs in Assam were mostly occupied by Assamese
-speaking individuals. Upendranath Brahma with his followers gradually mobilized Bodo students at the grass-root level. In 1987, as the AASU
movement was losing momentum, he and his trusted colleagues started a movement to create a separate state within Assam, called Bodoland
. He died before he could see the fruits of his leadership. His tombstone can be seen in the Upendranath Park in Dotoma. For his vision and great leadership quality of leading and uniting the community, Upendranath Brahma was formally conferred the title of Bodofa, the Father of the Bodos on 8th May, 1990.
District from 18th-20th February, 1987 and second at Banshbari in the Dhubri
District from 18th-22 December, 1988. Upendranath Brahma was the one who lead the whole Bodo community towards light. The Bodoland Movement was launched under his active leadership.
Further, a 21 feet (6.4 m) bronze statue of him was unveiled on the 10th anniversary of his death, May 1, 2000, in Kokrajhar
.
He was born 31 march. The bodo people called him as father of Bodos. His birth day 31 march is observed as a student day of every year.
. Upendranath Brahma's dead body was brought to Bagdogra from Mumbai
by plane and to Kokrajhar
by road on 2nd May, 1990. On 3rd May, his funeral procession was taken at many places. On 4th May, at 3.35 pm, he was burried at Kasturba field at Dotoma
He said,
"I am a Boro, I am a Boro
In mind and body, heart and soul,
In ideas and thoughts
I am a Boro
To love the Boros, is my duty
To work for the Boros is my responsibility"
Although he didnot live long, he showed the right path to the community.
Upendranath Brahma believed that everybody needs an aim in life. He says, "Adequate preparation and unwavering aim or absolving purpose makes us the winner in life"
He was also of the view that through the mass movement of ABSU, the Bodos would be famous in the world. He had a great plan of action for the Bodos. He realised that only through Mass Movement
, the would be able to get Bodoland
. He also desired the Bodoland State to be advanced in education. He also desired inclusion of both nationalism and socialism in the curriculum. He also expressed the view that the history of the Bodos should be re-written. Upendranath Brahma also wanted the development of the villages in Bodoland state. He desired that government should establish co-operative societies in the villages. He believed it the proverb, "self help is the best help" and he wished the Bodo people of the Bodoland state also to follow his path and attain the ultimate success in life.
He favoured introduction of sports as a compulsory subject in the school curriculum. He was of the view that declaration of sports as compulsory subject in school would help Bodo youths to excel in games and sports. He also desired the new state government to take necessary steps for setting up of new industries in the state. It was not possible to bring economic development
of the common people without the development of industries.
He did not forget the importance of Literature
. He knew very well that literature is the identity of the community. He was an active writer of Poems, Short Stories
and literary articles. He also wrote articles and essays on science. He was also an editor of "BIDANGSRI" from 1977-78. In 1980, he edited "ORKHI", a news magazine in Bodo from Kokrajhar
. Through The Bodoland Times, he tried to reflect the hopes and aspirations of the Bodos.
Upendranath Brahma desired the state government to take steps for the protection of the tribal art and culture. He desired for the establishment me Tribal Culture Preservation Department. He also realised the necessity of a state for the tribal. He was of the opinion that only a separate state would help the tribals to reach the pinnacle of glory and development.
would bring peace and prosperity to the community. Only then Bodos would become a master race. When he was asked once by his friend as to what should be done to immortalize his name after his death, he kept mum for a while, but when asked repeatedly, he replied, "If you wish, you may make a bronze statue of mine, this would inspire the future generation".
Bodoland
Bodoland is an area located in the north bank of Brahmaputra river in the state of Assam in north east region of India, by the foothills of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh; inhabited predominantly by the Bodo people. Currently the map of Bodoland includes the Bodoland Territorial Areas District ...
political leader.
Early life and education
Upendranath Brahma was born on 31st March, 1956 at Boragari Village near DotmaDotma
Dotma is a plain area under the District of Kokrajhar in the state of Assam situated in the North East India. It was once under British rule.At close of the Bhutan war of 1864, the British and the Bhutan arrived in an agreement called SINCHULA AGREEMENT in 1865...
, a small township at Kokrajhar
Kokrajhar
Kokrajhar is a city in Bodoland Territorial Council, Assam, one of the North East States and territories of India.Kokrajhar city is located along the bank of Gourang River. The North East Indian Railways divides the city into two sides, north and the south...
District of Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He was the son of Monglaram Brahma and Lefsri Brahma. He was the fifth child of their parents. He was the youngest. He was called "Thopen" during his childhood. His parents was very poor. As he had no sufficient, he had to work as Adhiari on others land. Upen grew up in the midst of poverty.
In 1963, Upen was admitted at Mokrapara L.P. School. Upen studied at Mokrapara L.P.School for the first five years during the sessions 1963-68. He passed the final examination of L.P. School in 1968 with merit scholarship. In 1968, Upen was admitted to Dotma Middle School. He studied Class IV, V, VI there during the sessions 1968-1971. Upen joined Dotma High School and studied Class VII AND VIII. Upen also studied at Kokrajhar High School and his result was impressive. Upen studied at Sakti Ashram High and Vocational School under the guidance of Swamiji in 1973. Upen studied by borrowing books from friends and from one bookstall name Sriguru Library. In 1975, Upen passed the matriculation examination in the first division with letter marks in Mathematics. He secured 67% marks in the examination. After Matriculation he studied Pre-University with science and B.sc with Honours in Physics in Cotton College
Cotton College
Cotton College was a Roman Catholic boarding school AT in Cotton near Oakamoor, North Staffordshire, England, also known as Saint Wilfrid's College. It closed in 1987 and the site is now derelict....
and he stayed in the Third Mess Hostel. After passing the B.sc. examination in 1981, he too admission in the Guwahati University for his M.sc. degree and was alloted a seat in the RCC-1 hostel of the university. Upen also served as a graduate science teacher at the Nehru Vocational High School, Gossainichina. He also studied B.A. at Kokrajhar College
Kokrajhar College
Kokrajhar College is an educational institution located in Kokrajhar, Assam, India. It was established in 1959. Though it started with an arts stream only, the science stream was launched in 1964 and was brought under deficit system in 1972.-Theme:...
with Bodo MIL during that period. In 1985 he passed B.A. from that college. Upen passed M.sc. in 1986. He also did take admission in LLB course in 1984 but his Law study ended abruptly due to ragging done to him at AT-9 hostel of the university.
Political activism
He lectured in many parts of Assam, reinforcing the theme that Bodos were treated as second class citizens. He observed that the Bodo peopleBodo people
The Bodos are an ethnic and linguistic community, early settlers of Assam in the North-East of India. According to the 1991 census, there were 1.2 million Bodos in Assam which makes for 5.3% of the total population in the state. Bodos belong to a larger ethnic group called the Bodo-Kachari. The...
had little or no influence in Assam politics. He observed no job opportunities for Bodo students, once they completed their studies. Jobs in Assam were mostly occupied by Assamese
Assamese language
Assamese is the easternmost Indo-Aryan language. It is used mainly in the state of Assam in North-East India. It is also the official language of Assam. It is also spoken in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and other northeast Indian states. Nagamese, an Assamese-based Creole language is widely used in...
-speaking individuals. Upendranath Brahma with his followers gradually mobilized Bodo students at the grass-root level. In 1987, as the AASU
All Assam Students Union
All Assam Students Union is a five-tier students' union in Assam, India.All Assam Students Union or AASU is a students' organization in Assam, India. It is best known for leading the six-year Assam Movement against alleged illegal immigrants from Bangladesh...
movement was losing momentum, he and his trusted colleagues started a movement to create a separate state within Assam, called Bodoland
Bodoland
Bodoland is an area located in the north bank of Brahmaputra river in the state of Assam in north east region of India, by the foothills of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh; inhabited predominantly by the Bodo people. Currently the map of Bodoland includes the Bodoland Territorial Areas District ...
. He died before he could see the fruits of his leadership. His tombstone can be seen in the Upendranath Park in Dotoma. For his vision and great leadership quality of leading and uniting the community, Upendranath Brahma was formally conferred the title of Bodofa, the Father of the Bodos on 8th May, 1990.
Bodofa and All Bodo Students Union
Upendranath Brahma was elected as the President of the Goalpara District Students Union in 1978-79. With this, his active life in student activities began. He helped the All Bodo Students Union to work for the rights of the community. Upendranath Brahma became the Vice-President of ABSU from 1981-83. He was elected the President of the All Bodo Students Union at the 18th Annual Conference of the Students Union from 29th-31 May, 1986. He was the 8th President of the student union. Under his leadership, the student union decided to include political issues as part of their agenda because he believed that the Bodos was not only losing their culture but was also deprived of their political rights. During his term as President of All Bodo Students Union, two Annual Conference were held, the first at Dudhnoi, in GoalparaGoalpara
Goalpara is the district headquarter of Goalpara district, Assam, India. It is situated west of Guwahati.-Etymology:The name of Goalpara is said to have originally derived from `Gwaltippika` meaning `Guwali village` or the village of the milk men. In the local dialect "para" means...
District from 18th-20th February, 1987 and second at Banshbari in the Dhubri
Dhubri
Dhubri is the headquarters of Dhubri district India. It is a small old town on the bank of the Brahmaputra and Gadadhar Rivers. In 1883, the town was first constituted as a Municipal Board and is situated about west from Guwahati, the state capital.Dhubri was an important commercial centre and...
District from 18th-22 December, 1988. Upendranath Brahma was the one who lead the whole Bodo community towards light. The Bodoland Movement was launched under his active leadership.
Honours
Upendranath Brahma's life is celebrated each year on the anniversary of his death, which is now called Bodofa Day.Further, a 21 feet (6.4 m) bronze statue of him was unveiled on the 10th anniversary of his death, May 1, 2000, in Kokrajhar
Kokrajhar
Kokrajhar is a city in Bodoland Territorial Council, Assam, one of the North East States and territories of India.Kokrajhar city is located along the bank of Gourang River. The North East Indian Railways divides the city into two sides, north and the south...
.
He was born 31 march. The bodo people called him as father of Bodos. His birth day 31 march is observed as a student day of every year.
His Death
Upendranath Brahma was suffering from Malignant Neoplasms of the Testis and he died prematurely on 1st May, 1990. At the time of his death, he was in MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
. Upendranath Brahma's dead body was brought to Bagdogra from Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
by plane and to Kokrajhar
Kokrajhar
Kokrajhar is a city in Bodoland Territorial Council, Assam, one of the North East States and territories of India.Kokrajhar city is located along the bank of Gourang River. The North East Indian Railways divides the city into two sides, north and the south...
by road on 2nd May, 1990. On 3rd May, his funeral procession was taken at many places. On 4th May, at 3.35 pm, he was burried at Kasturba field at Dotoma
Dotoma
Dotma is a village in Kokrajhar district of Assam. It is about 50 km from Kokrajhar town. Many famous personalities have been born in this village one of whom is Bodofa Upendranath Brahma. Today the development rate of Dotma is very high due to the attention the BTC gives to it and is...
His Philosophies
When the Bodos were subjugated, exploited and under the control of other communities, he appeared in the scene and freed them. When the community was crawling, he made them stand up and fight in the struggle of life. He taught the Boro community how to get their rights. He considered himself a true son of the Bodos. Service to the community was his aim in life.He said,
"I am a Boro, I am a Boro
In mind and body, heart and soul,
In ideas and thoughts
I am a Boro
To love the Boros, is my duty
To work for the Boros is my responsibility"
Although he didnot live long, he showed the right path to the community.
Upendranath Brahma believed that everybody needs an aim in life. He says, "Adequate preparation and unwavering aim or absolving purpose makes us the winner in life"
He was also of the view that through the mass movement of ABSU, the Bodos would be famous in the world. He had a great plan of action for the Bodos. He realised that only through Mass Movement
Mass movement
Mass movement refers to the political concept of a political party or movement which is supported by large segments of a population. Political movements that typically advocate the creation of a mass movement include the ideologies of communism and fascism...
, the would be able to get Bodoland
Bodoland
Bodoland is an area located in the north bank of Brahmaputra river in the state of Assam in north east region of India, by the foothills of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh; inhabited predominantly by the Bodo people. Currently the map of Bodoland includes the Bodoland Territorial Areas District ...
. He also desired the Bodoland State to be advanced in education. He also desired inclusion of both nationalism and socialism in the curriculum. He also expressed the view that the history of the Bodos should be re-written. Upendranath Brahma also wanted the development of the villages in Bodoland state. He desired that government should establish co-operative societies in the villages. He believed it the proverb, "self help is the best help" and he wished the Bodo people of the Bodoland state also to follow his path and attain the ultimate success in life.
He favoured introduction of sports as a compulsory subject in the school curriculum. He was of the view that declaration of sports as compulsory subject in school would help Bodo youths to excel in games and sports. He also desired the new state government to take necessary steps for setting up of new industries in the state. It was not possible to bring economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
of the common people without the development of industries.
He did not forget the importance of Literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
. He knew very well that literature is the identity of the community. He was an active writer of Poems, Short Stories
Short Stories
Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...
and literary articles. He also wrote articles and essays on science. He was also an editor of "BIDANGSRI" from 1977-78. In 1980, he edited "ORKHI", a news magazine in Bodo from Kokrajhar
Kokrajhar
Kokrajhar is a city in Bodoland Territorial Council, Assam, one of the North East States and territories of India.Kokrajhar city is located along the bank of Gourang River. The North East Indian Railways divides the city into two sides, north and the south...
. Through The Bodoland Times, he tried to reflect the hopes and aspirations of the Bodos.
Upendranath Brahma desired the state government to take steps for the protection of the tribal art and culture. He desired for the establishment me Tribal Culture Preservation Department. He also realised the necessity of a state for the tribal. He was of the opinion that only a separate state would help the tribals to reach the pinnacle of glory and development.
His Last Wish
Upen wanted the Bodos to be united. He knew,United we stand, Divide we Fall . A separate state BodolandBodoland
Bodoland is an area located in the north bank of Brahmaputra river in the state of Assam in north east region of India, by the foothills of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh; inhabited predominantly by the Bodo people. Currently the map of Bodoland includes the Bodoland Territorial Areas District ...
would bring peace and prosperity to the community. Only then Bodos would become a master race. When he was asked once by his friend as to what should be done to immortalize his name after his death, he kept mum for a while, but when asked repeatedly, he replied, "If you wish, you may make a bronze statue of mine, this would inspire the future generation".
See also
- BodolandBodolandBodoland is an area located in the north bank of Brahmaputra river in the state of Assam in north east region of India, by the foothills of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh; inhabited predominantly by the Bodo people. Currently the map of Bodoland includes the Bodoland Territorial Areas District ...
- Bineshwar BrahmaBineshwar BrahmaBineshwar Brahma was the president of the Bodo Sahitya Sabha in Assam, India. He was born on 28 February 1948 in a small village of Bhatarmari near Kokrajhar. He was the son of Late Taramoni Brahma and Late Sanathi Brahma.-Family:*Fathers Name: Late Taramoni Brahma,*Mother's Name: Late Sanathi...