Upendranath Brahma (Bodo: उपेन्द्रनाथ ब्रह्मा) (31 March 1956 - 1 May 1990) was a Bodoland political leader.[1]
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Upendranath Brahma was born on 31 March 1956 at Batabari village near Dotma, a small township at Kokrajhar District of Assam, India. He was the son of Monglaram Brahma and Lefsri Brahma. He was the fifth, and youngest, child. He was called "Thopen" during his childhood. He grew up in poverty.
From 1963, Brahma studied at various schools, including Dotma High School, Kokrajhar High School and, in 1973, at Sakti Ashram High and Vocational School under the guidance of Swamiji. In 1975, he passed the matriculation examination in the first division with letter marks in Mathematics. He secured 67% marks in the examination. Thereafter he obtained a BSc honours degree in Physics from Cotton College before enrolling at Guwahati University in 1981 for his MSc degree. Brahma also worked as a graduate science teacher at the Nehru Vocational High School in Gossainichina, and studied for a BA at Kokrajhar College during that period. He obtained his BA in 1985 and his MSc in 1986. He had also been admitted to study law on an LLB course in 1984 but this ended abruptly due to him being bullied.
He lectured in many parts of Assam on the theme of discrimination against Bodo people. He claimed that they were treated as second class citizens, had little or no influence in Assam politics and that their young people had no employment opportunities upon completion of their education. Jobs in Assam were mostly occupied by Assamese-speaking individuals.
Brahma was elected as the President of the Goalpara District Students Union in 1978-79. He was vice-president of the All Bodo Students Union between 1981-1983 and president from 1986. Through this body he worked for the rights of the community, which he believed to be losing not merely its culture but also its political rights. Under his leadership, the ABSU agreed to include political issues as part of its agenda. The Bodoland Movement was launched under his active leadership.
Brahma and his followers gradually mobilized Bodo students at the grass-roots level. In 1987, as the All Assam Students Union movement was losing momentum, he and his colleagues started a movement to create a separate state within Assam, to be called Bodoland.
Brahma died in Mumbai on 1 May 1990 as a consequence of malignant neoplasms of the testis. His body was taken to Kokrajhar and then buried at Dotoma on 4 May.
The title of Bodofa (Father of the Bodos) was posthumously conferred upon Brahma on 8 May 1990 in recognition of his vision and leadership. His life is celebrated each year on the anniversary of his death, which is now called Bodofa Day.
A 21-foot-tall (6.4 m) bronze statue of him was unveiled in Kokrajhar on the tenth anniversary of his death.
Brahma believed that everybody needs an aim in life. He was also of the view that through the mass movement of ABSU, the Bodos would be famous in the world. He had a great plan of action for the Bodos. He realised that only through Mass Movement, the would be able to get Bodoland. He also desired the Bodoland State to be advanced in education. He also desired inclusion of both nationalism and socialism in the curriculum. He also expressed the view that the history of the Bodos should be re-written. Upendranath Brahma also wanted the development of the villages in Bodoland state. He desired that government should establish co-operative societies in the villages. He believed it the proverb, "self help is the best help" and he wished the Bodo people of the Bodoland state also to follow his path and attain the ultimate success in life.
He favoured introduction of sports as a compulsory subject in the school curriculum. He was of the view that this would help Bodo youths to excel in games and sports. He also desired the new state government to take necessary steps for setting up of new industries in the state. It was not possible to bring economic development of the common people without the development of industries.
He understood that literature is the identity of the community. He was an active writer of poems, short stories and literary articles. He also wrote articles and essays on science. He was also an editor of "BIDANGSRI" from 1977-78. In 1980, he edited "ORKHI", a news magazine in Bodo from Kokrajhar. Through The Bodoland Times, he tried to reflect the hopes and aspirations of the Bodos.
Brahma desired the state government to take steps for the protection of the tribal art and culture. He wanted a Tribal Culture Preservation Department to be created. He also realised the necessity of a state for the tribals. He was of the opinion that only a separate state would help the tribals to develop.