Assam in Indian Independence

Can there be a book on the role of Assam in India’s freedom struggle? The answer must be an emphatic “No” What Assam did during India’s freedom struggle in an integral part of the nation’s achievement as a whole. Yet, there may be a historical assessment of how a single unit participated in the pan0Indian co-operative venture. In a book of India’s freedom struggle there is practically no mention of Assam and how the freedom-spirited people of this region rose to the occasion to break asunder the shackles of the foreign domination. The present study purports to fill up this lacuna by throwing light on this aspect of our national struggle for freedom. This is perhaps the only book that brings Assam in limelight while delineating India’s freedom struggle. Maniram Dewan was the martyr in the 1857 uprising which is otherwise called India’s First War of Independence. Mention has been made of Anandaram Dhekial Phukan’s regeneration of Assamese literature which was a part and parcel of the national movement. In the early twentieth century there was an emergence of a group of Assamese elite who were imbued with the advanced political ideas and acted as advanced political ideas and acted as the torch-bearers of a radical patriotism in Assam. Of the early champions of nationalism, mention may be made of Nabin Chandra Bardoloi, Tarun Ram Phookun and Chandra Nath Sharma. Towards the final phase of the struggle the field was held by Gopinath Bardoloi and Bishnuram Medhi. In addition, Kanaklata Baruah’s martyrdom in the Quit India Movement in 1942 which deserves to be delineated in flaming letters of gold has also been given sufficient coverage.

Dr. Arun Bhattacharjee, M.A., Ph.D. (b. 1939) is a prolific writer of books on historical literature. His area of specialisation is Ancient Indian History. His works include: A history of Modern India, A History of Ancient India, Greater India, A History of Great Britain, Bharatvarsha, History of India (From the earliest time to 1989), Subhas Chandra Bose and Indian Freedom Struggle, The Father of the Nation, India Wins Independence, Icons and Sculptures of Assam, World Revolutions, History of Political Thought, A History of Europe (1453-1789), A History of Europe (1789-1945), etc.