https://doi.org/10.67147/literariness.v1i3.121
History through Autobiography: Militant Revolutionism in the Colonial Brahmaputra Valley (1930–42): A Historical Account
SAURABH SAIKIA
Doctoral Researcher
Department of History
Cotton University, Guwahati, Assam
ORCID ID: 0009-0004-5480-727X
DR PRITHIRAJ BORAH
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Department of Law
NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, Telangana
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0376-0860-8605
Abstract: While nationalist historiography emphasises Gandhi-INC passive resistance, it marginalises grassroots revolutionary movements. Although scholarship exists on revolutionary activities in Bengal, Maharashtra, and Lahore, the Brahmaputra Valley’s revolutionary anti-colonial struggles remain unexplored. In the early 1930s, clandestine groups operating through fitness clubs and gymnasiums mobilised youth toward militant resistance, yet this crucial development lacks scholarly attention. This paper reconstructs underground anti-colonial activities in colonial Brahmaputra Valley (1930–1942) through Haridas Deka’s autobiography Jiwan Aru Sangram (Life and Struggle) (2011). Deka (1919–1993), a revolutionary-turned-communist leader, provides unprecedented insights into covert operations, organisational structures, and key figures. This paper addresses how revolutionary networks emerged and operated in Assam and what methodologies and ideologies guided these movements. Further, it examines the underground activities which transform into Assam’s radical communist movement. By analysing Deka’s firsthand account, this study illuminates the neglected revolutionary dimensions of Assam’s anti-colonial struggle.
Keywords: Militant Revolutionism, Colonial Brahmaputra Valley, Vyayam Sangha, Autobiography, Radical Communist Movement
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