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Journalism of Courage
Two months ago when Assam entered into the election process, the feeling in the state was that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi would not be able to make it. This was also the feeling among a sizeable section of Congressmen, especially from veterans like Ardhendu Kumar Dey, Sarat Barkataki and Devananda Konwar, all of whom had lost their ministerial berths, following downsizing two years ago. A prominent leader like Guwahati Lok Sabha member Kirip Chaliha, who has a history of love-hate relationship with the chief minister, had only last week said Gogoi would have to take the responsibility in the event of the Congress failing to retain power. But, though he may not have been able to achieve what he had done in the 2001 elections, Gogoi has managed to remain in power, even if it has to be with the help of an ally, the Hagrama Mohilari faction of the Bodo People8217;s Progressive Front BPPF, a party with which the Congress had forged an alliance.
While the Congress had won 71 seats in the 2001 polls, Gogoi, banking on the split that the main opposition party, the AGP, had suffered last year following the expulsion of founder president and two-time chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, was confident that his tally would be even better. And, though that did not turn out to be a reality, Gogoi did manage to prove all political pundits wrong, including numerous exit polls.
The positive points that Gogoi had on his card included timely salary payment to the 4.5 lakh state government employees, a segment which touches almost every family in the state. Delay in the payment of salaries was one of the several factors that had contributed to Mahanta8217;s doom in 2001. The state8217;s financial situation had also seen a turn-around in the past five years with tax collection improving like never before. The last major decision Gogoi took was the provincialisation of jobs of college teachers, numbering not less than 10,000, a segment that does influence public opinion in a significant manner. The services of over 35,000 persons, working as muster roll workers since the AGP days, were made permanent. This enabled the Congress to reach out to more families that matter.
Gogoi was also lucky to have the advantage of central schemes for the significant improvement in the road infrastructure of the state, while he also managed to touch the hearts of the BPL population by introducing a life insurance policy for them. There was also something useful for the vocal student community in the state 8212; the Congress government gave computers to every student who had scored more than 60 per cent marks in the high school board examination. This imaginative reaching out to various sections of society seemed to have played a big role in ensuring that Gogoi did not bite the dust.
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