Bimala Prasad Chaliha
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Bimala Prasad Chaliha (26 March 1912 – 25 February 1971) was a Leader 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 E ...
and a Freedom Fighter who was imprisoned at Jorhat Jail in 1942 for active participation in Mahatma Gandhi's Quit India Movement against the British Government. He was elected to the post of Chief Minister of
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 ...
for Three Consecutive Terms, once from Badarpur Constituency and twice from Sonari Constituency. He was in office from 28 December 1957 to 6 November 1970. He was awarded
Padma Vibhushan The Padma Vibhushan ("Lotus Decoration") is the second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "exceptional and distinguished service". All persons without ...
in 1971.


Political career

During his tenure as the Chief Minister, the ''Assam Official Language Act, 1960'' was enacted, which made
Assamese language Assamese (), also Asamiya ( ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in the north-east Indian state of Assam, where it is an official language, and it serves as a '' lingua franca'' of the wider region. The easternmost Indo-Iranian langua ...
the sole official language of the state. During his terms the Chinese attacked India at Bomdilla then called NEFA now known as Arunachal Pradesh. He strongly opposed the division of Assam State into smaller states like Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya and was member in various Committees of India's Central Government. Only after his death the State of Assam was broken down into smaller States. The March 1966 Mizo National Front uprising also happened during his tenure. Earlier he was instrumental in promoting the Plantations Labour Act, 1951 and corresponding Assam Plantations Labour Rules, 1956 to safeguard the interest of the Tea Plantation Workers of Assam. During his second term as Chief Minister the issue of illegal migration from then East Bengal came up, he claimed there were 300,000 illegal entrants in Assam, and he took active steps to deport them in his third term.


Personal life

He was married to Mrs. Amaya Bora Chaliha, daughter of a Senior Advocate & Freedom Fighter Mr. K.R. Bora and elder sister of veteran politician & Member of Parliament Mr.
Indramoni Bora Indramoni Bora (19 February 1937 – 28 December 2019) was a veteran Indian politician, Member of Parliament and President of Bharatiya Janata Party in Assam. He was born to Senior Advocate and Freedom Fighter Mr. K.R. Bora and Mrs. Nalini Bora, ...
. They had 5 sons and 2 daughters. Chaliha died on February 25, 1971. His wife died on March 6, 2010 and her last rites were performed at the Navagraha Crematorium in the presence of a large number of family members and admirers.


References

1912 births 1971 deaths Chief Ministers of Assam Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in civil service Chief ministers from Indian National Congress Indian National Congress politicians Members of the Assam Legislative Assembly India MPs 1952–1957 Indian National Congress politicians from Assam {{Assam-INC-politician-stub