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Ambikagiri Roychoudhury's View On Nationalism

Ambikagiri Roychoudhury was a prominent Assamese writer who advocated for protecting the unique Assamese identity, language, heritage and culture from outsiders while still viewing Assam as an integral part of India. He warned about the demographic threats to Assam from illegal immigration which later led to the Assam Movement. Roychoudhury believed regional interests in Assam needed protecting in order to safeguard national interests, and viewed the Assamese identity as part of the overarching Indian identity without conflict. He stood for an undivided India and represented the epitome of Indian culture and civilization within which Assam's civilization was an inalienable part.

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1K views2 pages

Ambikagiri Roychoudhury's View On Nationalism

Ambikagiri Roychoudhury was a prominent Assamese writer who advocated for protecting the unique Assamese identity, language, heritage and culture from outsiders while still viewing Assam as an integral part of India. He warned about the demographic threats to Assam from illegal immigration which later led to the Assam Movement. Roychoudhury believed regional interests in Assam needed protecting in order to safeguard national interests, and viewed the Assamese identity as part of the overarching Indian identity without conflict. He stood for an undivided India and represented the epitome of Indian culture and civilization within which Assam's civilization was an inalienable part.

Uploaded by

partha pratim mazumder
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Ambikagiri Roychoudhury’s view on Nationalism

Doyen of Assamese literature Ambikagiri Roychoudhury was misunderstood by many

of his contemporaries, even accusing him as one of the chief masterminds of the Bongal-

Kheda Andolan in Assam. But, whoever has read some of his major literary works, including

many of his writings in several newspapers, would have to undoubtedly accept the fact that

Roychudhury’s timely warning with respect to the demographic future of Assam and its

potential implications in the socio-political scenario of the state has become far more relevant

now. Had the successive political dispensations in Assam adhered to his warnings, the illegal

infiltration problem of Assam would not have assumed such monstrous dimensions, leading

to the outbreak of the Assam Movement (1979-85) against illegal Bangladeshis. For

Roychoudhury, the ancient land of Pragjyotishpur and Ma Kamakhya, i.e. present-day

Assam, was always an integral part of the larger entity called Bharatvarsha. At the same time,

he had been very much vocal about the protection of the unique Assamese identity, language,

heritage and culture from the point of view of securing the future of the Assamese youth from

outsiders. Almost single-handedly, he kept on fighting for these issues during his lifetime,

while seeking to mould a viable public opinion around them. Roychoudhury deeply felt for

the cause of the Assamese identity, and the culture and civilisation of Assam. He also took

appropriate measures to make people aware of an existential threat that is haunting Assam in

the present times. Hence, any criticism of Roychoudhury as an ‘outsider’, who remained

aloof to the problems of the common people of Assam, needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Just like we care for the protection of our own homes and hearth, in much the same way, the

protection of our identity and culture is very close to our hearts. This holds true not just for

the people of Assam, but elsewhere too, which also explains the rise and growth of various
regional political parties in different states of India. As has been mentioned above, in his

efforts to protect the Assamese cultural and civilisational heritage, Roychoudhury’s

imagination always included Assam as an intrinsic and inseparable part of Bharatvarasha

without any conflict. Whether it be in his “Aaji Bondu ki Sondere” or “Deshei Bhogoban”,

his unwavering love for India and Indian history and civilisation, is replete in all of his poems

and texts. Protection of the regional interests of Assam was Roychoudhury’s foremost

priority, without which, he opined, the protection of Bharat’s national interests would never

be possible. They are inseparable and complementary to one another. This is aptly reflected

in many of his prominent essays such as Ahise Jodi Mur Logot Eketa Hoi Mili Jua, Bharatiya

Swaraj Aru Asomiya Swaraj, Jatiyota Aru Mahajatiyota, etc. Roychoudhury never envisaged

the Assamese regional identity as separate or different from the all-encompassing Indian

identity. He clearly wrote in one of his essays that any Indian citizen, residing in any part of

the country, and who seeks to settle down in some other part for purposes of job, education,

etc. must never be denied of his right to stay in that place. For him, it was Bharat and the

essence of Bharatiyata which informed his political views on Assam and its relationship with

India. Roychoudhury always stood for an Akhand Bharat, and this has been explicitly

brought out in the poems that were composed by him during that period when India was

openly at war with both Pakistan and China. Roychoudhury represents the epitome of

Bharatiya culture and civilisation, of which the Assamese civilisational identity constitutes an

inalienable part.

Partha Pratim Mazumder

PO : Kazipara Dist : Nalbari 781341 Phone : 9706630579

Email: [email protected]

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