Biographies > Freedom Fighters > Gopinath Bardloi
Gopinath Bardloi, an architect of modern Assam, was born on June 6, 1890 and died on August 5, 1950.
The second son of Dr. Budhiswar Bardoloi, Gopinath had his early education in Guwahati and later graduated from the Scottish Church College, Calcutta, with Honours in History.He also took his post-graduate degree from Calcutta University in 1914.Back home, he joined the Guwahati High School as Head Master, but left it in 1917, after obtaining his Law degree, to join the Bar.
Gandhiji call for non-cooperation soon captured his imagination and his head-long plunge into the movement landed him in the British hails in early 1922.HE soon became an eminent leader of the struggle in Assam and had to return to the prison again in 1940 and 1942.
As the Congress Party leader in the Provincial Assembly in 1937, he brought the struggle also into the legislature.Even the premiership, which he assumed in 1938, was to him just an instrument for further expansion of the struggle and for reversal of the administration's repressive measures.He resigned his Premiership in 1939 in protest against the imperialist war but was back in office after the 1946 polls.He used his office, both before and after independence, to lay the foundation for a progressive Assam and to set the trends for Assam's future reconstruction in every sphere.
Better known as Lokapriya, Bardoloi's life was indeed a legend of total dedication to the people's cause.Welfare of the people, particularly of the weaker sections, was a passion with him.His profound concern for the Tribals, for instance was eloquent in his forceful plea, as the head of the Constitution sub-committee to examine the question of tribalk autonomy, for the Sixth Schedule.
His interests also covered various other fields of human endeavour, ranging from sports to music and from theatre to literature Even in jail he authored several brilliant books including biographies of Saints and Seers with stress on the basic essence of humanism in their teachings.
Gopinath is often called Assam's saviour particularly because of his extremely courageous role in resisting the infamous Coupled plan for a Crown Colony in the North Eastern Hills, the Cabinet plan for Assam's grouping with Bengal and the Muslim League's threats to have the province in Pakistan.It was such courage that once prompted India's 'Iron man' Sardar Patel, to hail him as
the Sher-I-Assam or the Lion of Assam.
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