GUWAHATI, Jan 7 — Perhaps, she is one of the most unfortunate women who has been suffering a lot during the last two decades. During the last 20 years she has lost some of her dearest ones — she is Bharati Rajkonwari, the eldest sister-in-law of ULFA Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and the widow of Dimba Rajkonwar, the eldest brother of the ULFA leader. Dimba Rajkonwar was brutally assassinated by unidentified gunman on August 11, 1998 while he was on duty. He was an officer of the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC). Harubopai, (as Arabinda is called by his family members, his real name is Rajib Rajkonwar) was basically a polite and poetry loving boy when he was with us during the Kanoi College days at Dibrugarh in the late seventies recalled Bharati Rajkonwari. “Being the eldest sister-in-law he treated me like his mother. He was so helpful that I did not have to face any difficulty in looking after my kids and managing his daily routine despite a hectic schedule. Sometimes he used to cook his favourite dishes for our satisfaction,” she said. “He loved and respected my husband a lot. My deceased husband had told me once that Harubopai played the ‘dhol’ for the whole night when he was not taken with the marriage party to our home on our wedding day,” Rajkonwari recalled.
“However, after creation of the ‘organisation,’ I missed my most beloved brother-in-law,” she said. Explaining the dreadful days of the 80s and the 90s Rajkonwari recalled that an appalling atmosphere engulfed them all the time. Police and Army personnel visited their house at Dibrugarh almost every night. After the ‘Bajrang Operation,’ in particular, the frequency of the raids increased. Her husband was tortured with third degree punishment. And, as a result, he became crippled for life. Then the only question asked was — “where is he? “We could not satisfy the cops as we did not know where he was, even now I am in the dark about Harubopai’s whereabouts,” she said, adding, “We were not only tortured by the government machineries but also threatened by unidentified persons, and finally my dearest husband had to sacrifice his life. The reasons for killing my husband was not known to us. Perhaps the assassins also did not know that by gunning down such an innocent person, no problem could be solved.”
After her husband’s death the sister-in-law of the chairman of the banned outfit had to face an unenviable situation. She has to manage her four-member family (she has a daughter and two sons) with her clerical job at the PWD. The family did not get proper financial support from the ASTC. Despite her severe financial hardships, Rajkonwari has to send both her sons to Delhi for higher studies so that they are safe. Her sons also had a long cherished dream of studying at Delhi. She, however, informed that she does not have to face any problem from her employer and that is the reason why she somehow has been able to run the family with support from her in-laws. “My father-in-law Uma Rajkonwar, who will celebrate his 100th birthday on January 11, is a freedom fighter and receives pensions. With paddy cultivation and the earnings of my younger brother-in-law we have a well-maintained family and whenever the need arises, they extend a helping hand,” she informed.
When asked how she would react to the proposed talks between the ULFA and the government, Rajkonwari, said, I am very much in favour of talks. I sincerely believe that discussions should take place at the earliest because bloodsheds never solve any problem. But there should be sincerity on part of both the sides.” “If my Harubopai can hear me through your newspaper, I would like to appeal to him to come at least two steps forward against the government’s one, for holding talks so that a negotiable solution could be found,” she said adding that when the entire world is suffering for terrorists’ activities, nobody should indulge in any act which not only threatens national security but also disturb general citizens.
On a mediator for talks, Rajkonwari said that first of all he or she should be acceptable for both sides and the person should have a deep study on the problem. Further she opined that the mediator should come forward of his own with an open mind. Nobody should be forced for playing the role of a negotiator. Refusing to mention anybody’s name as an acceptable middleman, she said that there may be some people in the State who would like to come forward without any vested interest. She urged persons who know the root cause of the problem to come forward voluntarily so that our angry youths would return to the mainstream for an all-round development of the State.