TNT PROFILES | Facts you should about RTI activist Akhil Gogoi

With the Assam Assembly elections just around the corner, it's good to know a few things about the politicians and key players in the northeastern state.

TNT-The Northeast Today brings to you a few facts you should know about activist Akhil Gogoi.

Akhil Gogoi is an Indian peasant leader and RTI activist. He many anti-graft movements in the state over the years and came to national attention after he was awarded the Shanmugam Manjunath Integrity Award in 2008 for his relentless fight against corruption.

In 2010, he was awarded the national Right to Information Award by the Public Cause Research Foundation for his role in exposing a 12.5 million dollar scam in Sampoorna Gram Rozgar Yojna in the Golaghat district of Assam.

Gogoi is the founder Secretary of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS)- a left-wing peasant organisation based in Assam.

Background

>> As per official records, Akhil Gogoi was born on March 1, 1976, in Jorhat, Assam.

>>He is the only son and has one younger sister.

>> Gogoi attended Cotton College, Guwahati, from 1993–1996, where he studied English literature.

>> After completing his graduation, Gogoi joined an organisation named 'United Revolutionary Movement Council of Assam'.

>> In the 90s Gogoi left this organisation and joined 'Natun Padatik' magazine as its secretary.

>> In 2005, he formed KMSS as a pressure organisation.

>> In 2015, as a political part of KMSS, he and his associates formed the Gana Mukti Sangram Asom.

>> He is married to Gitashree Tamuly and has a son.

Awards

>> In 2008, he was awarded the Shanmugam Manjunath Integrity Award for his relentless fight against corruption.

>>In 2010, he was awarded the national Right to Information (RTI) Award by Public Cause Research Foundation (PCRF).

Political career

>> He shot to the limelight in 2005 when he exposed a PDS scam in his home district, Golaghat.

>> In 2017, during the 5th bi-annual Conference of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, Gogoi announced that the party would contest in the next elections.

>> Gogoi filed his nomination this year via video-conferencing for Sibsagar (Sivasagar district), located in Upper Assam.

Controversy

>> Gogoi clashed with Himanta Biswa Sarma back when Gogoi was the General Secretary of Cotton College.

>> During the Assembly polls in January 2011, he travelled across Assam urging people not to vote for Congress. He claimed that former Assam Chief Minister (Late) Tarun Gogoi had purchased a property in the US later found to be a hostel of Massachusetts Institute of Technology where Tarun Gogoi's son-in-law had studied.

>> On June 22, 2012, he led a violent mob in Dispur against alleged eviction around Guwahati hills. He was later arrested for instigating violence.

>> On July 13, 2011, he organized a huge anti-dam rally in Guwahati which was addressed by Medha Patkar.

>> Gogoi was arrested on December 12, 2020, during the protests against the citizenship act in Assam.

>> According to Amnesty, around 100 criminal cases have been registered against Gogoi to date.

Protests

>> Protest against Sowansiri lower dam project

>> Protest against CAA

>>Protest against land mafias. Such as against Prithaniaa.

>>Protest against corruption in 2011 for the 'Lokpal Bill'. This was movement happened all over India. The leader was 'Anna Hazare'.

>>Protest against check gates.

Arrests

>> In 2010, during the term of Congress government, he was charged for allegedly 'having relations with Maoist'. He was arrested in 2019.

>> On December 12, 2019, Gogoi was taken into custody on account of the ongoing Citizenship Amendment Act protests.

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