We are being targeted for our honesty: Akhil Gogoi

An RTI activist, a Team Anna member and general secretary of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), Akhil Gogoi is a man who is fighting for land rights to local people and against corruption. Rupraj Sarmah and Hemanta Phukan spoke to him to find out the driving force behind his pursuits.


Q: What motivated you to participate in the anti-corruption movement?


Akhil: My aim in life was to become an IAS officer. But when I got enrolled in Cotton College in Guwahati, I saw rampant corruption in admissions, for hostel seats and at various other levels. It had a political nexus and I started opposing it without knowing that I had taken an anti-Congress stand. I was the magazine secretary and then general secretary of students union of the Cotton College.


Q: How did you get in touch with India against Corruption?


Akhil: I am a member of the core committee of the India against Corruption. I am involved in policy making.


Q: You are the general secretary of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti. Tell us about the activities of the organization.


Akhil: The KMSS was formed in 2005 with the main objectives of land reform, people’s right over resources and to check corruption. We believe that decentralisation of power can help us a lot, but the present government is doing just the opposite.


Q: Do you get support from intellectual circle within you movement?


Akhil: One of the main characteristics of our movement is that we succeeded in making all the intellectuals associated with the movement. It cannot be seen in earlier movement. We invite suggestions from social democrats, but we do not adopt these untested.


Q: A noted intellectual Dr Hiren Gohain was an advisor to your organization earlier. Now it seems you have developed differences with him.


Akhil: Dr Gohain was an advisor to the KMSS. We believe that relations between a mass movement and intellectual circles move with unity and struggle. When Dr Gohain played the main role in the peace process between the ULFA and the government, from then onward some differences arose between us. I believe that the differences will not last long.


Q: What strategy is adopted in your movement against corruption?


Akhil: We have a methodology for our movement against corruption. In a nut-shell, our four-prong methodology is-information collection, social auditing, exposing and people’s movement. Such a mythology is proved to be successful in checking corruption.


Q: There is an allegation that you raise your voice against every issue. What you have to say about this?


Akhil: Our society is facing various problems and diverse forces are responsible for it. As a committed socio-political activist, it is not possible for me to be attached to only one issue. Every problem is interlinked and the political economy is the main cause of all such problems. Those who accuse of jumping from one to another issue do not realize this interlink.


Q: You are fighting against big-damn issue, land reform movement and corruption. Have you achieved any positive result?


Akhil: Our movement is successful. The construction work at the Lower Subanshiri Hydro-electric Project has been stopped due to the agitation by KMSS. We are fighting for the land rights for forest dwellers. Assam Government has stopped forest eviction. Under the provisions of the Forest Right Act, as many as 37,000 families have got land pattas. However, the government has temporarily stopped the process and because of KMSS’ initiatives, the Union Tribal Affairs ministry sent letters to all chief minister to restart the process.


Q: Government has alleged that the KMSS has links with the Maoist.


Akhil: KMSS is an organization that takes rigid stand against corruption and makes the government obliged to work for the people. To harras the organisation, the government has applied several methods. Sometimes government raises questions about our honesty and applies police force. There are 42 police cases against me. As all such methods proved futile, I was attacked physically last month. This is the reason why we are being termed as Maoist. Personally, I am a Marxist, so I am not saleable.


Q: Are you a publicity hungry person?


Akhil: Yes, I want publicity. Not for Akhil Gogoi, but to highlight the national issues. As a leader of the organization, my name comes in the news. Assam is virtually running without Opposition. As the KMSS is doing good job, so my name comes to the headlines.