People and Personalities of Goalpara District

The big stories often make the headlines of our historical narratives, but history is not only about the landmark events - it finds shape and character in the myriad events that led up to a flashpoint of change. An attempt to discover and document stories of people, events, and places linked to the freedom struggle of India at the micro level of the district has led to the creation of a Digital District Repository. Stories in this section can be broadly classified under - People & Personalities.

Kati Ram Rabha

Kati Ram Rabha, a renowned personality of Assam, was born on 28 October 1919, in Kenduguri village of Boko, Kamrup district. He played a significant role as a social activist, freedom fighter, and as pioneer of the Rabha society in South Kamrup, Assam. He was raised by his grandfather and had a challenging childhood due to the lack of his mother's care. Despite various odds at hand, he began agricultural work from a young age, and by 12, he was responsible for at least one-third of the total agricultural work in his grandfather's family.

Kati Ram Rabha was inspired by the Civil Disobedience Movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930 and 1932, which had gained momentum throughout India. He attended various meetings, dharnas, hartals, strikes, and picketings, and was encouraged by the wave of the Non-Cooperation Movement.

In 1942, the movement to make India free from British rule gained extensive form in Assam under the leadership of Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi and his colleagues. Rabha and his friends were deeply moved by the speeches of Gourikanta Talukdar and Nabin Chandra Kalita at a huge public meeting held in Boko. They joined the movement wholeheartedly, leaving behind household work and their studies. He became the local leader of the freedom movement and was responsible for organizing meetings. British administration got infuriated by his volunteer force and on 9 September 1942 he, along with Kamini Das, Golok Deori, and Kamala Rabha of Paneri village, was arrested from a meeting organized in an interior village of Boko. They were sent to Guwahati jail. He traveled on foot along with his young friends to visit nearby villages located in the interior areas of Boko, Singra, Dudhnoi, Dhupdhara, Nagarbera, Chaigaon, and some interior parts of present-day Meghalaya, to address people about the wrong deeds of the British government.

Jatindra Narayan Das

Jatindra Narayan Das spent his entire life fighting against the British colonial rule and sacrificed his life. He was born on 15 February 1911 at Pabania under South Salmara PS of ancient Goalpara district (presently under Dhubri district), and his father was Shri Hari Charan Das. His birthplace lies near the mighty Brahmaputra. 

Jatindra Narayan Das pursued his education at the Harendra Narayan Secondary School at Bagribari (presently in Kokrajhar). Later on, he pursued his education at
PC Institute, Gauripur. During the year 1929, he joined the Indian National Congress. Due to joining the freedom movement, he was expelled from school along with his companions for not complying with the Cunningham Circular.

Jatindra Narayan became an active worker and joined the freedom movement in 1930 for which he was sent to jail for the first time at the young age of 19 years. Thereafter, he went to jail several times till 1942 whence during the time of Quit India Movement he witnessed last imprisonment. He also faced heavy punishment for not abiding by “Sarkar Salam” and for continuing anti-British activities inside the jail premises. 

Jatindra Narayan Das had the access to meet veteran leaders of the country such as Gandhiji, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Morarji Desai. He was the Dhubri District Party President, winning several times from 1937 and continued on the post upto the year 1952. He was also in-charge of sending messages to the higher authority from the grassroot level workers of North East. 

Jatindra Narayan Das also served as the Executive Member of All India Congress Committee and for delegates at the Indian National Congress. He was also member of the Assam Provincial Congress Working Committee.

As the District Congress Committee President, Jatindra Narayan was the first person to hoist the National Flag of 15th August 1947 at Dhubri Head Quarter where the first National ceremony was held. He took an active part in social reforms like removal of untouchability, mass education, widow remarriage in some communities, organisation of orphanage and destitute rehabilitation.

Jatindra Narayan Das became the first MLA from INC during the year 1952 from Gossaingaon Constituency. Under his leadership, the first state-level krishi mela was held in Gossaigaon during the year 1954-55. Jatindra Narayan Das was awarded Tamra Patra by the state govternment of Assam in recognition of his service towards the freedom movement.

Hem Kanta Sarma

Hem Kanta Sarma son of Tilak Ch. Sarma, born in 1913 was a resident of Kundali, Rangoli Gaon, Nowgong. Hem Kanta Sarma wrote a postcard containing information likely to help the anti-government revolutionaries and posted the same at Golaghat B.O. on 9 September 1943. The letter was addressed to the Manager of Rangaloo, Nowgong. He was convicted under section 38(5) of Defence of India Rule and sentenced to pay a fine of rupees 20 or rigorous imprisonment for one month in default.

Reference: File No. Criminal Department 349/1943

Leela Roy

Leela Roy was born on 2 October 1900 at Goalpara district of Assam. Girish Chandra Naag and Kunjalata Naag were her parents. She was academically brilliant.  She fought her way to get admission to the University of Dhaka which was meant only for male students and became the first woman to earn a master’s degree from the University of Dhaka.

When Leela was just 23 years old, she set up a one-of-a-kind, all-women’s group called the Deepali Sangha. This Sangha was meant to support women's education so that they would be financially independent. In 1926, she joined Shree Sangha led by Anil Roy. Shree Sangha was an all-male revolutionary group fighting for India’s independence. With her help, many women joined the Sangha. Later she set up the Mahila Atma Raksha Fund, where women were taught self-defense and martial arts. By 1930, Leela had established herself firmly in India’s political landscape when Anil Roy was arrested that year.

Leela was a revolutionary in every sense. Her radical ideas made her a threat to the British. She was arrested in 1931 and spent six years in prison.  Later she joined Forward Bloc –  a political party founded by Subhas Chandra Bose, after his resignation from the Indian National Congress. When Subhas Chandra Bose was arrested, Leela took over the editorship of the ‘Forward Bloc Weekly’. Leela’s strong patriotic editorials led to her arrest again. The magazine was forced to shut down and Leela spent another four years in prison. She was released in 1946, along with Anil Roy, her husband.

Leela went to Noakhali in Bengal (now in Bangladesh) and set up relief camps for families affected by the riots. She walked around the region covering over 140 km in six days rescuing hundreds of people.

In 1946  Leela was elected to the  Constituent  Assembly of India.  She was one of the 15 women elected and the only woman to be elected from Bengal.

Leela continued to be part of active politics till 1962. In 1960, she was elected to be the chairperson for the party formed by merging the Forward Bloc and the Praja Socialist Party.

Leela died on 11 June 1970, after a prolonged illness. Her portrait hangs in the central hall of the Parliament.

Source :

• Dulal Adhikary, Contributor for CCRT
• IGNCA, Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
• Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav