UpdateBot at 09:41, 29 March 2022

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{{short description|Indian activist}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}

{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Akhil Gogoi by Vikramjit Kakati.jpg
| caption = Gogoi in 2017
| office =[[Assam Legislative Assembly|Member of Assam Legislative Assembly]]
| constituency = [[Sibsagar (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Sibsagar]]
| term_start = 21 May 2021
| term_end =
| predecessor = [[Pranab Gogoi]]
| successor =
| office1 = [[Raijor Dal|Founder - President of Raijor Dal]]
| term_start1 = 2 October 2020
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = ''Post Established''
| successor1 =
|module={{Infobox person
| embed = yes
| name = Akhil Gogoi
| native_name =
| birth_name =
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| nationality = Indian
| occupation = Member of [[Assam Legislative Assembly]]
| other_names =
| known_for = [[2011 Indian anti-corruption movement|2011–12 Indian anti-corruption movement]], <br /> [[Freedom of information|Right to Information]],<br /> Anti CAA Protests of 2019 in Assam
| party = [[Raijor Dal]], [[Gana Mukti Sangram Asom]]
| movement = [[2011 Indian anti-corruption movement|Indian anti-corruption movement]]
| spouse = Geetashree Tamuly
| children = 1
| parents =
| awards =
| website =
| organisation = [[Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti]] <br /> [[India Against Corruption]]
}}
}}
'''Akhil Gogoi''' is an Indian peasant leader, RTI activist and MLA from [[Sibsagar (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Sibsagar]], [[Assam]]. Over the years he has been leading many anti-graft movements in the state. Gogoi came to national attention after he was awarded the Shanmugam Manjunath Integrity Award in 2008 for his relentless fight against corruption<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.assamtimes.org/hot-news/1272.html |title=Akhil Gogoi receives award from Kiron Bedi |publisher=Assam Times |accessdate=6 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323021327/http://www.assamtimes.org/hot-news/1272.html |archive-date=23 March 2012 }}</ref> In 2010, he was awarded the national Right to Information Award by [[Public Cause Research Foundation]] for his role in exposing a Rs. 12.5 million scam in Sampoorna Gram Rozgar Yojna in the Golaghat district of Assam.<ref>{{cite news|author=TI Trade |url=http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=nov2909/at09 |title=The Assam Tribune Online |publisher=Assamtribune.com |date=29 November 2009 |accessdate=6 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304010606/http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=nov2909%2Fat09 |archive-date=4 March 2012 }}</ref> Gogoi is the founder Secretary of [[Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti]] (KMSS)- a left wing peasant organisation based in Assam.

==Personal life==
Akhil was born to Boluram and Priyada Gogoi.<ref name="MyNeta">{{cite web |title=Akhil Gogoi(Independent(IND)):Constituency- SIBSAGAR(SIVASAGAR) - Affidavit Information of Candidate: |url=https://myneta.info/Assam2021/candidate.php?candidate_id=55 |website=myneta.info |access-date=2 March 2022}}</ref><ref name="Wire"/> He attended the [[Cotton College, Guwahati]] during 1993–1996, where he studied English literature. He served as the general secretary and magazine secretary of the college students union. Soon he joined the [[United Revolutionary Movement Council of Assam]] (URMCA), a mass organisation of CPI-ML-PCC under the leadership of [[communist]] leader [[Santosh Rana]].<ref name="MyNeta"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Upmanyu |first1=Kabir |title=Activist for Many Causes: Akhil Gogoi Now Arrested for Sedition |url=https://www.thequint.com/news/india/activist-for-many-causes-akhil-gogoi-now-arrested-for-sedition#read-more |access-date=6 December 2020 |work=TheQuint |date=15 September 2017 |language=en}}</ref> However, by the end of the 1990s he broke with Rana and devoted himself as an editor of ''[[Natun Padatik]]'', an independent Marxist journal published in Assamese, along with [[Hiren Gohain]]. Gogoi is married to Geetashree Tamuly, with who he ha a son Nachiketa.<ref name="Wire">{{cite news |title=Assam's 'Cylinder Candidate’ Akhil Gogoi, who could be a worry for both Congress and BJP |url=https://theprint.in/politics/assams-cylinder-candidate-akhil-gogoi-who-could-be-a-worry-for-both-congress-and-bjp/629250/ |access-date=2 March 2022 |work=ThePrint |date=26 March 2021}}</ref>

==Anti Big-Dam and Land Reclamation Campaign==
From mid-2009, Gogoi had led a statewide movement against construction of big dams in the ecologically sensitive regions of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. His organisation KMSS demanded immediate halt to the ongoing construction of the dam of Lower Subansiri, a mega hydroelectric power project under NHPC with an estimated capacity of 2000 MW.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/rti-activist-akhil-gogoi-kmss-team-anna-menber/1/204170.html |title=Who is Akhil Gogoi? : North, News – India Today |publisher=Indiatoday.intoday.in |date=7 July 2012 |accessdate=31 December 2012}}</ref> In December 2011, huge number of anti-big dam protestors led by Gogoi stopped trucks transporting parts of turbines to the Lower Subansiri Hydro-electric Power Project site in Gerukamukh, [[Lakhimpur district]], thereby significantly slowing down the process of construction of the dam for the next many years. The dam is still not complete<ref>{{cite news |agency=Press Trust of India |title=Protestors block transport of turbines for hydel project |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/protestors-block-transport-of-turbines-for-hydel-project/article23072658.ece# |accessdate=12 January 2020 |work=@businessline |date=2 December 2011 |language=en}}</ref> In 2014 Gogoi initiated a campaign against land mafia in Assam, who had appropriated thousand of acres of agricultural land in rural Kamrup district, adjoining Guwahati city, from poor farmers. The matter is currently under investigation.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

==Campaign against corruption==

For some time, he was also associated with Anna Hazare led anti-graft campaign [[India Against Corruption|India against Corruption]]. However, he broke with IAC after some of the members decided to form a political party. Explaining his reasons to resign from IAC, Gogoi said that the support IAC had received was only for building up a strong and sustained mass movement against rampant corruption, and not floating an election centred political party.<ref>{{cite news|author=Sushanta Talukdar |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/akhil-gogoi-opposes-team-annas-decision/article3728321.ece |title=News / National : Akhil Gogoi opposes Team Anna's decision |newspaper=The Hindu |date=5 August 2012 |accessdate=31 December 2012}}</ref>

==Peasant cooperatives==
In 2013, Gogoi and his comrades in KMSS established a number of provisional retail outlets in different parts of Guwahati city to facilitate direct access of rural peasantry with urban markets. Claiming it as an alternative to [[FDI in Retail]] as well as mafia-run-syndicates, Gogoi and his organisation expressed their plans to open more outlets in the city on a permanent basis. These outlets will be run by the peasants themselves and will sell agrarian products on a drastically lower price, removing the middleman in between. On the very first day of the opening of the outlets, more than hundred quintals of vegetables were reported to be sold within a few hours.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.assamtimes.org/node/7980 |title=Akhil gives ray of hope to Assam farmers|publisher=Assam News |accessdate=26 February 2012}}</ref>

==Maoist controversy and imprisonment==

In April 2010, a secret report of the Assam government alleged that Akhil Gogoi had close connections with CPI-Maoist.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/anticorruptionactivistamaoistinassamreport/590798/0 |title=Anti-corruption activist a 'Maoist' in Assam report |publisher=Indian Express |accessdate=6 August 2012}}</ref> Gogoi challenged the report and dared the Assam government to prove the allegation.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/assam-govt-brands-rti-activist-as-maoist/112754-3.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100411041813/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/assam-govt-brands-rti-activist-as-maoist/112754-3.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 April 2010 |title=Assam govt brands RTI activist as Maoist – India News – IBNLive |publisher=Ibnlive.in.com |date=6 April 2010 |accessdate=6 August 2012}}</ref> Intellectuals across the country including Magsaysay Award Winner [[Sandeep Pandey]] and [[Medha Patkar]] condemned the government for trying to implicate the activist.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.tehelka.com/story_main44.asp?filename=Ne100410shooting_the.asp |title=India's Independent Weekly News Magazine |publisher=Tehelka |accessdate=6 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405075941/http://www.tehelka.com/story_main44.asp?filename=Ne100410shooting_the.asp |archive-date=5 April 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In an interview with NDTV, Akhil Gogoi said, "I am a Marxist and I do believe in social transformation. But I am not a Maoist. They don't believe in mass activities. We at KMSS are trying to organise the masses for radical change.But the attempt of the government to implicate me as a Maoists shows their frustration because they have been unable to contain the growing popularity of KMSS".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ndtv.com/news/videos/video_player.php?id=1209296 |title=News " Videos |publisher=NDTV |accessdate=6 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=ndtv |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAni3rMWF9I |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/TAni3rMWF9I |archive-date=15 December 2021 |url-status=live|title=Akhil Gogoi under scanner |publisher=YouTube |date=31 March 2011 |accessdate=6 August 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> It created an embarrassment for the Assam government and the matter was dropped thereafter. The same allegation was again raised in 2019, this time by the BJP led government of Assam, in the context of the [[Citizenship Amendment Act protests|Citizenship Amendment Act Protests]] being led by Mr Gogoi. Akhil Gogoi was arrested on 12 December 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last1=PTI |title=Peasant leader Akhil Gogoi arrested in Assam's Jorhat |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/peasant-leader-akhil-gogoi-arrested-in-assam-s-jorhat-1627843-2019-12-12 |accessdate=26 December 2019 |work=India Today |date=12 December 2019 |language=en}}</ref> Two UAPA cases were slapped on Akhil Gogoi and the National Investigation Agency was entrusted with the investigation. NIA alleged that the Citizenship Amendment Act Protests in the state reeks of a Maoist conspiracy and it is likely that Mr Gogoi received training from the CPI-Maoist, in leading such a militant mass movement. On 1 July 2021, the NIA Court absolved Akhil Gogoi of all charges and quashed both the UAPA Cases after an incarceration of 567 days.<ref>{{cite news |last1=The Telegraph |title=CAA Protest Case - Akhil Gogoi Cleared |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/north-east/caa-protest-case-akhil-gogoi-cleared-of-all-charges-by-nia-court/cid/1820887|accessdate=3 July 2021 |work=The Telegraph |date=2 July 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

== Electoral politics ==
From prison, Akhil Gogoi launched his own political outfit [[Raijor Dal]] on 2 October 2020. Akhil Gogoi won from<ref>{{Cite web|date=3 May 2021|title=Akhil Gogoi: A peasant leader who won ballots from behind the bar|url=https://thenewsmill.com/akhil-gogoi-peasant-leader-won-ballots-from-behind-bar/|url-status=live|access-date=27 June 2021|website=[[The News Mill]]|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503044236/https://thenewsmill.com/akhil-gogoi-peasant-leader-won-ballots-from-behind-bar/ |archive-date=3 May 2021 }}</ref> the [[Sibsagar (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Sivasagar]] constituency in the Assam Assembly Elections 2021. He received 57219 votes out of the total of 124219 votes.<ref>{{cite news|author=ECI |url=https://results.eci.gov.in/Result2021/ConstituencywiseS03108.htm?ac=108 | title=GENERAL ELECTION TO VIDHAN SABHA TRENDS & RESULT MAY-2021}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Gana Mukti Sangram Asom]]
*[[Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti]]
*[[Raijor Dol]]

==Further reading==
*''Forest Land and Peasant Struggles in Assam 2002–2007'' by Arupjyoti Saikia<ref>{{cite journal|last=Saikia|first=Arupjyoti|title=Forest land and peasant struggles in Assam, 2002–2007|journal=Journal of Peasant Studies|year=2008|volume=35|issue=1|pages=39–59|doi=10.1080/03066150801983402|url=http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=article&issn=0306-6150&volume=35&issue=1&spage=39}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gogoi, Akhil}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian anti-corruption activists]]
[[Category:Cotton College, Guwahati alumni]]
[[Category:Right to Information activists]]
[[Category:Activists from Assam]]
[[Category:People involved in the Citizenship Amendment Act protests]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

Akhil Gogoi - Revision history

UpdateBot at 09:41, 29 March 2022