agp.org Asom Gana Parishad : Official Website

Party : Asom Gana Parishad
State : Assam
Year of Foundation : 1985
Current Leader : Prafulla Kumar Mahanta

Home Page : http://agp.org.in/home/

Related : Asom Gana Parishad How to Become a Volunteer : www.electionin.in/228.html

 Asom Gana Parishad Our Flag :

** The flag of the Asom Gana Parishad has a proportion of 3:2 with the top one-third having the colour red, the lower one-third portion blue and the middle third portion white.

Party Symbol : Elephant

** There is a side-view figure of an elephant in solid black that is facing away from the mast.
** The red colour stands for struggle and change, the white colour stands for responsibility towards creating and practicing a clean public life apart from depicting peace, and the blue colour stands for a foundation for struggle, apart from depicting unity among different ethnic communities of the state.
** The elephant on the other hand is a symbol of people’s unity and strength, devotion towards duty, stability, foresight and an indomitable spirit.

Work & Achievements :
A brief summary of the achievements of the governments formed by Asom Gana Parishad during the periods 1985-1990 & 1996-2001

Overcoming the Financial Crisis :
** The coffers of the Central Government have been enriched by the resources of Assam , but the Central Government had earlier been giving approximately 70% of the Annual Plan Expenditure as loan to Assam.
** Also funds disbursed to the state for flood relief by the Center which usually required a lot of persuasion were also given as loan. As a result Assam Government had a debt burden of more than 4000 crores. This was the main reason for the financial crisis in Assam.
** During the days of AGP government this issue was taken up with the Central Government and finally the system was reversed to 90% Grant and 10% Loan ratio, thus saving Assam from a future debt burden and averting a possible financial crisis.
** In addition, due to our persistent efforts , a mechanism was evolved and adopted whereby 10% of funds were allocated for the North East Region in all Central government departmental budgets. As a result of which sufficient fund allotment was possible, for not only Assam, but for all the NE states.

Crude Oil Royalty :
** During the 36 years long Congress rule in Assam prior to AGP assuming power , the crude oil royalty given to Assam was @ Rs. 61.00 per metric tonne. But , during the 5 year AGP rule, this was increased to Rs. 314/- per metric tonne , thus earning an additional Rs. 140 crores for the state.
** During the Congress rule, despite a mass movement , only two toy refineries were set up in Assam with a combined refining capacity of 1.8 million tonnes. Crude oil amounting to 3.3 million tonnes was piped to the Barauni refinery. In addition to this a plan for laying another loop line for sending additional crude oil outside state was taken up. AGP government foiled this conspiracy, – the refining capacity of Bongaigaon Refinery was increased and an additional new refinery with 3 million tonnes refining capacity was commissioned.
** Congress governments divided old Assam and created seven new states. A conspiracy was hatched to further create divisions. The AGP government took a clear and bold stand in this regard – that Assam will not be divided further, and thus foiled such a conspiracy.
** During the earlier Congress led governments for more than three decades, an estimated 60 million cubic feet of natural gas was flared off daily which was worth a total of more than Rs. 2000 crores. AGP government got clearance for 5 projects using this gas – A gas based petrochemicals project (Gas Cracker) , Amguri & Kathalguri gas based electricity plant, LPG Project and Gas Pipeline project – through which when completed , not less than 1.5 lakh unemployed will get employment.

WELFARE SCHEMES :

** Reduction in school fees of girls up to Class 12.
** Free bus travel arrangements for Senior citizens.
** Agricultural loan and land taxes relief to flood affected areas.
** Entertainment taxes waived off for Mobile theater groups for 1 year
** Increase in minimum wages for Tea Garden workers
** Equal daily wages for male and female tea garden workers
** Treasury Challan system for job applications abolished
** Pension of Artists , Litterateurs , freedom fighters enhanced
** Job provided to the oppressed and those who suffered disability during the atrocities perpetrated during the Assam Agitation
** Conditions of prisons improved with additional facilities to prisoners

ART & CULTURE :
** Establishment of Shankardev Kalakhetra at Guwahati, institution of Shankardev Award, establishment of Anandaram Barooah Language & Culture Research Center, financial assistance to Assam Association for establishment of Assam Cultural Center at New Delhi, Financial grants for rebuilding the historical auditoriums like Kumar Bhaskar Natya Mandir, Guwahati ; Milan Mandir at Barpeta ; Tarajan Natya Mandir at Tezpur etc. are some of the notable achievements of the AGP government.
** Financial grant to Madhupur Satra
** Success in removing the barriers in establishing harmony between the Barak & Brahmaputra valleys which had taken roots during the Congress rule.

History & Origin :
** Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) was the outcome of the six-year-long Assam Movement, which was spearheaded by the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP) asking the central government to free Assam of several million illegal infiltrators from across the borders.
** For many years, the people of Assam were raising the demand for steps against the illegal foreign infiltrators who had entered the state of Assam through the porous border, mostly from Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan) and occupied vast areas of the state, thus threatening the economic, political, social and cultural existence of the indigenous people of the state.
** When the revision of the electoral rolls of Mangaldoi Loksabha Constituency was undertaken following the death of sitting MP, Hiralal Patwari, in 1978, the real situation came to light.
** During the process of the election, observers noticed that the number of registered voters had grown dramatically.
** Immediately, the AASU under the leadership of Sri Prafulla Kumar Mahanta (President) and late Bhrigu Kumar Phukan (General Secretary) demanded action against the infiltrators.
** The people of Assam joined AASU in demanding the postponement of the bye-elections to Mangaldoi Loksabha Constituency and a thorough revision of all the electoral rolls of the state in order to detect (foreign infiltrators), delete (from Voters’ lists) and deport all the illegal infiltrators.
** This rapidly turned into a Mass Movement throughout the state and the Assam Movement was born in 1979.
** Many organizations like the Asom Sahitya Sabha, the Sadau Asom Karmachari Parishad, Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva-Chatra Parishad, Asom Yuvak Samaj, All Assam Central and semi-Central Employee’s Association etc. including two regional political parties- Purbanchaliya Lok Parishad(PLP) & the Asom Jatiyabadi Dal(AJD) joined hands with AASU and constituted the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP) to guide the Movement.
** The Movement continued for six long years and during these years, more than 800 martyrs sacrificed their lives for the cause of the state.
** Countless others suffered serious injuries including bullet injuries, many became permanently handicapped.
** The central government had to come to the negotiation table and discuss a solution with the movement leaders, AASU and AAGSP.
** Several rounds of discussions with successive governments in New Delhi culminated in the signing of the Assam Accord on August 15, 1985 between AASU, the AAGSP and the Central Government in presence of the then Prime Minister, Late Rajiv Gandhi.
** The Assam movement has come to be regarded as one of the longest peaceful movements in the world after the freedom movement of India.
** Following the Assam Accord, the State Assembly was dissolved and the Congress Government of Late Hiteswar Saikia, which came to power in February 1983 in an election completely boycotted by the people of Assam, was dismissed paving the way for democratic elections.
** The AASU called for a Convention of the people of Assam at Golaghat from 13th to 14th October, 1985, where it was decided to constitute a regional political party under the name of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the party was formally launched at Golaghat on October 14, 1985.
** Prior to that the then Central Executive Committee of the All Assam Students’ Union with Sri Prafulla Kumar Mahanta as President and Bhrigu Kumar Phukan as General Secretary handed over the leadership of the student organization to a new batch of leaders at a convention held in Lakhimpur in September, 1985.
** When the AGP was formed, the first presidium was headed by Sri Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and Sri Bhrigu Kumar Phukan became one of the General Secretaries.
** The Six year peaceful democratic movement against the foreign infiltrators in Assam thus converted itself into a regional political organization with the then leadership of the AASU as the flag-bearers and the two existing regional parties, PLP and AJD merged into it along with several other organizations.
** The AGP decided to contest the elections to the state assembly held in December 1985 and swept the polls by winning 67 of the 126 seats apart from capturing seven of the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies and formed a new Government in Assam.
** Sri Prafulla Kumar Mahanta became the youngest Chief Minister in India at the age of 33, heading the first Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) government in Assam