Akhil Gogoi’s Open Letter Raises the Hard Question: What Does AASU Stand For Today?

Raijor Dal chief and MLA of Sibsagar Akhil Gogoi has written a scathing open letter to All Assam Students' Union (AASU) president Utpal Sharma, challenging the student organization's ideological soundness and its public identification with Rongali festival organizer Shyamkanu Mahanta.

In his letter, in Assamese and addressed to "Moromor Utpal" (Dear Utpal), Gogoi was disappointed at Sharma's speech during the Rongali–North East Festival, where the AASU president had been spotted on the same platform as Shyamkanu Mahanta and a number of community leaders.

Gogoi cited a widely circulated video at the event, where Utpal Sharma hailed Mahanta and labelled Rongali a "movement in the social and cultural scene of Assam," and claimed AASU would "always support Shyamkanu Mahanta." Gogoi criticized Sharma's statements as an indication of there being no ideological basis among the student leadership.

"You extolled Shyamkanu Mahanta and Rongali in superlatives. Now, perhaps, when you hear that speech, you yourself feel embarrassed, don't you, Utpal?" Gogoi penned.

"Without a Progressive Ideology, Even Hard Work Becomes Meaningless"

Reflectively and expostively, Gogoi called upon the AASU president to embrace a progressive and critical ideological approach, adding that no movement or institution can cause lasting change in the absence of it.

"Utpal, an individual or an organisation has to possess the correct ideology. Otherwise, no education and hard work could ever yield results," Gogoi penned. "This is exactly AASU's greatest crisis — ideological impurity."

He maintained that this vacuum in ideology has always prevented AASU from implementing structural change in Assam, though the organisation itself has been a big player in agitations. Gogoi cautioned that such lacunae can lead to undermining the unification of Assam and social harmony.

"From Shyamkanu Mahanta comes one type of peril; the same peril can also originate within us, if we do not take the proper ideological stance," he warned.

Referencing Assam's Cultural Icons

Referring to Assam's contemporary cultural history, Gogoi invoked Jyotiprasad Agarwala, Bishnuprasad Rabha, Bhupen Hazarika, and even Zubeen Garg, calling them torchbearers of progressive ideology.

"Every one of them — Jyotiprasad, Bishnuprasad, Bhupen Hazarika, and even Zubeen da — were keepers of progressive ideals. So, Assam's national ideology has to be progressive too," Gogoi wrote, continuing that the same ideological trajectory was "the road to liberation for the Assamese nation.

A Critique of AASU and Its Leadership

Gogoi also appealed to the legacy of late AASU president Samujjal Bhattacharjya, recognizing his contribution to Assam but arguing that his ideological constraints did not let for concrete social change.

"Samujjal da is the finest nationalist leader of our era, and I have tremendous regard for him. But in the end, there were no enduring outcomes. History will recall that he took AASU nearer to the establishment and not towards transformation," Gogoi explained.

The leader of Raijor Dal further pointed out that AASU, as Assam's most powerful students' organisation, has failed to head the state's progressive forces for not moving beyond reactive nationalism.

He mentioned the anti-CAA movement as a case point where AASU's "limitations stopped it from actually guiding a conscious and awakened society."

"Re-examine the Assam Accord Through Class Analysis"

Gogoi exhorted Utpal Sharma to view the Assam Accord through a class perspective, meaning that the document does not answer the basic problems of the state's marginalized and working-class masses.

"If you view the Assam Accord from class perspective, you'll understand how it doesn't pinpoint the main issues of our people," he wrote.

"Do Not Take It Personally, But Reflect

Ending his letter, Gogoi made it clear that his comments were ideological rather than personal, urging the AASU president to reflect and use a more critical, socially aware approach.

"Don't take me personally, Utpal. Reflect once again. The best thing in life is ideology — pure ideology. Even good intentions can go wrong and turn dangerous if the ideology is false," Gogoi concluded, wishing "love and respect" to Utpal Sharma and all of AASU.

Also Read: Is the Government Trying to End the Zubeen Mania?