Dev Kant Barooah (22 February 1914 – 28 January 1996) was an Indian politician from Assam, who served as the
President
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*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
of the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
during
the Emergency (1975–77).
Early life
Baruah was born on 22 February 1914 to Nilkanta Baruah at
Dibrugarh
Dibrugarh (pron: ˌdɪbru:ˈgɑ:) is an industrial city in Upper Assam with sprawling tea gardens. It is located 435 kms East from the state capital of Dispur. It serves as the headquarters of Dibrugarh district in the state of Assam in ...
,
Assam Province
Assam Province was a province of British India, created in 1912 by the partition of the Eastern Bengal and Assam Province.
Its capital was in Shillong.
The Assam territory was first separated from Bengal in 1874 as the 'North-East Frontier' n ...
(present-day
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
). He studied at Nowgong Government High School and graduated from
Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University (BHU) IAST: kāśī hindū viśvavidyālaya IPA: /kaːʃiː hɪnd̪uː ʋɪʃwəʋid̪jaːləj/), is a collegiate, central, and research university located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, and founded in 1916 ...
. After joining the
Indian freedom struggle
The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947.
The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged from Bengal. ...
, he was imprisoned in 1930, 1941 and 1942.
Career
In 1949–1951, Baruah's political career began as a member of the Constituent Assembly. He is now chiefly remembered for his alleged sycophancy to Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (; Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress. She was elected as third prime minister of India in 1966 ...
, encapsulated by his c. 1974 proclamation that "India is Indira. Indira is India."
[Ram Guha, ''India After Gandhi'', p. 467] However, he later parted ways with her and joined
Congress (Urs)
The Indian National Congress (U) was a breakaway faction of the Indira Gandhi-led Congress (I), formed in July 1979 by D. Devaraj Urs, the then Chief Minister of Karnataka. Urs' explanation of the split was the return of Indira's son Sanjay Ga ...
, later renamed as
Indian Congress (Socialist)
Indian Congress (Socialist) (IC(S)) also known as Congress (Secular) was a political party in India between 1978 and 1986.
The party was formed through a split in the Indian National Congress. Initially the party was known as the Indian Natio ...
. He was the
Governor of Bihar
The governor of Bihar is a nominal head and representative of the President of India in the state of Bihar. The Governor is appointed by the President for a term of 5 years. Phagu Chauhan is the current governor of Bihar. Former President Zaki ...
from 1 February 1971 to 4 February 1973. He died in New Delhi. He is the first and only Assamese to be elected as a president of
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
.
Baruah was a noted poet as well. His collection of Assamese poems, ''Sagar Dekhisa'' (''সাগৰ দেখিছা''), is still very popular. He was the elder brother of famous Assamese poet
Nabakanta Barua.
References
External links
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, -
1914 births
1996 deaths
20th-century Indian poets
India MPs 1952–1957
India MPs 1977–1979
Assamese-language poets
The Emergency (India)
Governors of Bihar
Indian Congress (Socialist) politicians
Indian National Congress (U) politicians
Lok Sabha members from Assam
Members of the Cabinet of India
People from Dibrugarh district
Presidents of the Indian National Congress
Speakers of the Assam Legislative Assembly
Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministers of India
Indian National Congress politicians from Assam
{{Assam-INC-politician-stub