Guwahati: The Congress on Saturday kicked off a major public outreach initiative aimed at preparing a manifesto that reflects the vision of ‘Bor Asom’—a greater, inclusive Assam representing all communities.
Addressing the media in Dibrugarh, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi said the effort is part of a collective decision taken at a recent meeting of opposition parties. “We felt that only criticising the government is not enough. We must meet people to understand how today’s youth, various communities, government employees and all sections envisage Assam,” he said.
Gogoi added that all opposition parties will carry out public interactions throughout the month. He proposed holding a joint convention in January to present a shared vision for Bor Asom. Emphasising Congress’s tradition of public consultation, he recalled how landmark acts such as the RTI, RTE, and MGNREGA were shaped through widespread engagement with citizens.
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Drawing parallels with earlier governance practices, Gogoi said former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi adopted a similar consultative approach when the Congress came to power in 2001 during a period of economic stress and law-and-order challenges. “He discussed with the people and prepared the roadmap to pull Assam out of crisis,” he noted.
In contrast, Gogoi accused the current government of sidelining democratic consultation. “Now, whatever the ‘raja’ in Dispur feels, he does. We don’t want to be a ‘raja’. We want to be raijor sevak. From a ‘divided Asom’, we will move towards a ‘Bor Asom’,” he asserted.
The APCC chief also highlighted steps to strengthen the party’s organisational network, including the newly launched ‘Raijor Podulit, Raijor Congress’ programme, which recently organised medical camps in tea garden areas.
Lok Sabha MP Pradyut Bordoloi, chairperson of the party’s manifesto committee, said the upcoming manifesto aims to look beyond next year’s state polls. “We want a forward-looking document where all sections are taken into confidence so that the aspirations of the Assamese people are reflected,” he said. On the possibility of a common opposition manifesto, Bordoloi added that if an alliance materialises, a common minimum programme would be considered.
