Dear India, Gaurav Gogoi Has a ‘Dam’ Good Message for You

Gaurav Gogoi, an eco-friendly neta, has a strong message for India.

Gaurav Gogoi is a Member of Parliament in Kaliabor Assam. He’s an entrepreneur, runner, eco-conscious neta, who cycles to work. How we wish the others would follow him.

Find out what the young politician wants to say in his Letter to India.

   

   

Dear India,
     
Assam's legendary singer and music composer Bhupen Hazarika wrote,
     
"Mahabaahu Brahmaputra Mahamilonor tirtha, Koto jug dhori aahise praxaxi, Xommonaya aartha."
     
The lines mean that the mighty river Brahmaputra is a river of unity and integration. For centuries it has held the countless people living on its banks in a cocoon of peace and harmony.
     
My country India has many such rivers whose reservoir of water is but a treasure of our civilisation from our past to the present. The Brahmaputra's water nourishes the thirsty, gives life to our farms, purifies our bodies and listens to our prayers. The river does not restrict itself to geographical boundaries or the lines a map. Neither does it recognise the identity of our religion, ethnicity, sex, caste, age or income status.
     
Sometimes we forget what our rivers stand for. Life in the 21st century is fast, noisy and demanding. Opinions are formed in a 180-character tweet. Noise dominates the intellect. Outrage shuts out serenity. Introspection is sacrificed to hero-worship. Knowingly or unknowingly, a mindset emerges that clashes with our civilisation. And we start putting dams on our rivers. Dams that reflect extremism, hatred, violence and insecurity. Their only purpose is to alter the nature and route of our rivers and our civilisation.

I am blessed that the river Brahmaputra flows right through my state. As I travel its length, I witness its glory and the various hues of people living on its banks. The water has a soothing effect. The people of Assam learn to live with its annual burden of floods. Its voluminous girth inspires courage, poetry and compassion. The banks of the river consistently reinforce the values of our culture and civilisation in our minds and hearts.

This year I dream that I, along with my fellow Indians, will find more time to visit the banks of a river near us. I hope that we will let our souls be nourished and our embers extinguished. I wish that we free our rivers by breaking the dams that society creates. I pray that we inherit the vision of the leaders who wrote our constitution. I urge that we remain steadfast to the nature and course of our civilisation, just like a river.

Your humble son,

Gaurav Gogoi  

 

Audi India is proud to be a part of India’s progressive growth and salutes the spirit of India.

( Do you ever feel like talking to India? Yes, perfect. This is your chance to write to her to tell her how you feel about her. You could be bitchy, angry, happy, emotional or spoofy. But if your answer is No – nevermind, there is always a beginning. Let’s start here. Send us what you want to tell your India and we will publish it. Don’t be shy, just say it all. Mail us your letter at [e-mail] . We’ll ensure India gets your message.)