- Bonojit Hussain and Mayur Chetia
рж╕рзНржмрз░рзНржЧржд рз░рзБржЪрж┐ ржирж╛ржЗ, ржпрж╛ржУржБ ржоржЗ ржнрж╛ржЯрж┐ржЦрж╛ржирж╛рж▓рзИ
ржЬрзБрз▒рж╛рз░рзА-ржоржжржкрзА-ржмрзЗрж╢рзНржпрж╛-рж╕рж┐рж╣ржБрждржХрзЛ ржорзЗрж▓ржд ржЧрзЛржЯрж╛ржЗ
ржоржирз░ ржЪрж┐рждрж╛рз░ ржЫрж╛ржЗ ржЙрз░рзБрз▒рж╛ржЗ ржЧрж╛ржУржБ ржЖрж╢рж╛ржмрз░рзА :
ржЖржХрж╛рж╢ржд ржЙрз░рж╛ ржорж╛рз░рзЗ ржЬрж╛ржХрзЗ ржЬрж╛ржХрзЗ ржлрж┐ржирж┐ржХрзНрж╕ ржЪрз░рж╛ржЗ !
I have no desire for heaven,
Instead I go to the brewhouse,
Gamblers, drunkards, prostitutes - bringing them together
I sing of hope, sprinkling ashes from my soulтАЩs pyre:
In flocks the phoenix flies to the sky.
- тАЬржорзЛрз░ ржХржмрж┐рждрж╛ / My PoetryтАЭ Amalendu Guha 1960
Prominent Marxist historian, revolutionary, poet and a litterateur from Assam тАУ Dr. Amalendu Guha тАУ passed away at the age of 91 in the wee hours of 7
th┬аMay at his humble residence in Guwahati. Remaining true to his rationalist outlook, he had willed in 2005 that his bodily remains should be handed over to Gauhati Medical College for scientific research. Before and during Dr. GuhaтАЩs final ride to the Medical College, large numbers of people had gathered to pay their tributes at his residence, Assam Sahitya Sabha office in Cotton College State University premise and Ellora Vigyan Mancha office in Guwahati.
An unwavering pillar of left democratic movements in his home state, although Guha was mostly known as a historian in mainland India, his contributions and presence in the field of poetry and literature are also immense.
He presided over the History conclave and Poetry convention of┬аAxom Sahitya Sabha┬аin 1978 and 1994 respectively. Among his many other writings in Assamese and Bengali, his incisive travelogue on Afghanistan┬атАШAfghantistanot EbhumukiтАЩ┬а(A Glance into Afghanistan) published in 1961 is considered to be one of the classics in Assamese travel writing. Apart from a revised edition published in 2002, the book has also been translated into and published in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.
Despite publishing only two anthologies of poetry, Guha is counted among the most prominent modern poets of Assam. Guha has earned his place in the annals of Assamese literature as the poet of social consciousness, human sufferings and aspirations. His first anthology, called┬аLuit Parer Gatha┬а(in Bengali) was published in 1955 followed by his second anthology┬аTomaloi┬а(in Assamese) published in 1960. Both these anthologies are resplendent tribute to Assam and the struggles and aspirations of its people.
In the lines of Neruda, GuhaтАЩs poetry resonate the universal themes of dreams, historical consciousness, poverty, political values, love, city life and nature; wherein aesthetics and politics mutually define each other. Markedly an optimist, for him poetry was one form of public salutation (рз░рж╛ржЬрж╣рзБрз▒рж╛ рж╕ржорзНржмрзЛржзржи). A lover and balladeer of his land, GuhaтАЩs Assam is its splendid natural beauty, jhum farming, spring,┬аrose chestnut, rivers, valleys, Oraons, Santhals, Mundas, laboring masses, Naga, Mizo, peaceful Manipur, mridang, cuckoo and weaving girls.
Talking of inspiration, writing in November 2000, Guha reminiscences that тАЬaround 1948 Hemanga Biswas gave me to read Pablo NerudaтАЩs famous poem тАШLet the Rail splitters AwakeтАЩ; inspired by it I wrote and published a long poem in Bengali corresponding to the situation prevailing in Assam as well as the world.тАЭ This poem composed and published in 1950 was a 136 lines poem called┬аLuit Parer Gatha┬аwhich was later used as the title of his first anthology with the same name.
GuhaтАЩs old friend Gautam Chattopadhyay recalls that sometimes in 1945 or 1946, when Guha was a BA student in Presidency College, they were travelling in a train to Guntur along with over a hundred fellow activists of Communist Party affiliated All India┬а StudentsтАЩ Federation. Amidst discussions on politics and revolution, someone blurted out that тАЬAmalendu writes wonderful poems!тАЭ Upon request to recite, tall, dark and lanky with a shock of bushy hair, Guha came forward and recited тАЬTramтАЭ his poem about a imagined journey from a Tram station to Dalhousie Square. The poem ends with this riveting line:
ржХржирзНржбрж╛ржХржЯрж░┬а!┬аржмрж▓рждрзЗ ржкрж╛рж░,┬арждрзЛржорж╛рж░ ржЖрж░ ржЖржорж╛рж░,┬арж╕рж╛ржорзНржпрзЗрж░ ржЖрж░ ржкрзНрж░рж╛ржЪрзБрж░рзНржпрзЗрж░ ржкрзГржерж┐ржмрзАржЯрж╛┬аржХрждржжрзБрж░┬а?
Conductor! Can you tell us, how far is the world of equality and abundance?
Guha got involved in active left politics at the age of 14 as a high school student when he joined the All India StudentsтАЩ Federation (Assam unit) in 1938/39, also around that time he started his engagement with Marxist study club тАЬProgressive UnionтАЭ.
1938 to 1940 was the time when leftist politics started making inroads into Assam. Many students around that time got attracted to Marxist ideas under the influence of Bengali leftists like Soumendranath Tagore, Kamal Ghosh, Biswanath Mukherjee and Amiya Dasgupta who had shifted to Assam for political work. As a result two different Marxist study groups took shape; those under the influence of Soumendranath Tagore gravitated towards тАЬRadical InstituteтАЭ which was associated with RCPI. Amiya Dasgupta and Kamal Ghosh took the initiative in the formation of тАЬProgressive UnionтАЭ which was associated with Student Federation. By 1942, during his Intermediate College days, Guha had already started to see himself as a communist. He remained an active member of Student Federation until 1947. He became a member of the Communist Party of India in 1943 and remained active as a party cadre until 1965 when he left his job at Darang College in Tezpur, Assam and moved to Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics in Pune. But he continued his participation in politics and movements till his last years.
During the 1962 Indo-China war, within 15 days of his return to Darang College after finishing his PhD at Indian School of International Studies in Delhi, Assam Government arrested Guha under the Preventive Detention Act. From Tezpur, first he was brought to Nagaon jail and then to Guwahati jail. Within days around 52 inmates were flown in a special plane and shifted to special cells of Behrampur Jail in Orissa and were imprisoned there for six months. Among those 52 were prominent leftist intellectuals and activists of Assam like Bishnu Rabha, Baneswar Saikia, Achintya Bhattacharya, Biresh Misra, Gauri Shankar Bhattacharya, Jiban Kalita and Mohanlal Mukherjee.
In a 2004 interview on his 80th┬аbirth anniversary, Guha said that academically he always wanted to be based in Assam but the right prospect never came his way. Despite being one of the best candidates, he was denied a job at the newly established Gauhati University in 1948, and Guha strongly felt that he was denied the job because of his leftist ideology. That very year he joined Darang College, Tezpur, Assam as a lecturer of Economics and taught in the college till 1965. In between, from 1959 to 1962, he did his Phd from Indian School of International Studies, New Delhi and wrote his thesis on┬атАШEconomic Transition in Afghanistan, 1929-1961тАЩ. From 1965 to 1973 he worked, first as a Research Fellow and later as a Reader, at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Econmics in Pune. In 1973 he moved to Centre for Studies in social Science, Calcutta to teach Economic History and retired as a Professor in 1990. In between he also taught at the Delhi School of Economics in the years 1969-1970.
As a historian, Guha was primarily known for his work тАШ
Planters Raj to Swaraj: Freedom Struggle and Electoral Politics in Assam: 1826-1947тАЩ published in 1977.┬а Till recently, it was the only academically informed work that was available on the region that professional historians could refer to, without hesitation. It was supposed to be a boring, factual and┬а
sarkari┬аhistory of Assam legislative assembly, as part of a plan to write official histories of different provincial and central legislatures of India. It was commissioned by the Indian Council of Historical Research, as per the request of the Education Ministry of the Government of India, to commemorate the 25
th┬аanniversary of IndiaтАЩs independence. But with┬а GuhaтАЩs enthusiasm and ICHR director R S SharmaтАЩs full support,┬а the book turned into a comprehensive history of Assam, touching as diverse topics as the national movement, labour struggles, peasant rebellions, politics of migration, effects of colonial economy┬а and so on. People have long forgotten the other books published in the series and yet GuhaтАЩs book has since become a classic, with thousands of students, researchers and activists still devouring its pages for rare insights and excellent handling of primary sources.
It was GuhaтАЩs utter bad luck that his rivals in the vernacular public sphere could neither develop his acute historical sense, nor could understand the significance of developing a philosophy of history writing, let alone his expertise in handling archival materials. So, to counter his substantial critiques of the local middle class elites, crudest forms of allegations were leveled against him. It was said тАУ Guha is critical of тАШour Assamese national iconsтАЩ, because he is of Bengali origin and worse still тАУ a communist!┬а However they could never dare ask Guha тАУ what are his ideas about the Bengali elites around Calcutta itself!┬а Because this way, they would have lost the argument in the hands of the die-hard commie historian, who never minced his words about the bourgeoisie, no matter what is its nationality.
Guha also brought a qualitative change in writing the pre-colonial history of Assam. For different reasons, not all of them related to the academic field, the late 19th┬аand early 20th┬аcentury nationalist/sub-nationalist historical writings were still dominant in the region before GuhaтАЩs arrival. It was Guha who taught us to look for deeper material reasons for processes of historical change; beyond the glory of this or that king, beyond this or that victorious battle of the Ahom commander against the Mughal emperor. Guha presented a hypothesis that in the transition from what he called тАЬtribalism to feudalismтАЭ in Assam, the introduction of wet rice cultivation by the migrant Ahom communities played a very important role. He further noted the similarity between the Ahom state and the pre-colonial states in different East Asian countries тАУ such as Burma, Vietnam and Thailand, in terms of their control over the labour, rather than land. In that sense, he said, the Assamese history should be seen in terms of its relationships with these formations, rather than the Mughals or those in Bengal. As recent historians have become more aware of the similarity and links between the North East and the East Asian formations, the original contributions of Guha have become only too palpable. Guha was also the first historian who tried to make a socio-economic analysis of the тАШMoamaria rebellionтАЩ in the late Ahom period, in terms of a peasant uprising, rather than just an instance of religious clashes between different Vaishnava lineages.
However, it would be totally wrong to say that he was a historian of Assam alone. He touched upon numerous historical fields тАУ often making pioneering or important contributions. ┬аHe wrote on┬аParsi SethsтАЩ┬аhistorical roles, IndiaтАЩs nationality question, economic history of Afghanistan, Mughal economy, colonial economy of India and so on.
In a pioneering series of three articles published during 1970 and 1984 in the journal┬аEconomic and Political Weekly, Guha elucidated about the roots, entrepreneurship and the comprador role of the┬аParsi Seths┬аduring the period 1750 to 1918. The┬аParsis┬аwere a late entrant into the world of trade and finance compared to other communities like the Chettiars, Bohras and Gujarati тАУ Marwari Banias, but the┬аParsis┬аwere the earliest to make foray into modern industries and were able to maintain that lead until the end of the First World War. Various social scientists from diverse disciples and schools had explained the тАШsuccessesтАЩ of the┬аParsis┬аby pointing out their acceptability to British patrons as stable collaborators, their lack of caste prejudices, their production-oriented peasant-artisanal background, and some tried to explain it through the Weberian framework of religious work ethics. Guha was perhaps the first to try and explain the Parsi success story┬атАШin terms of the productive forces and relations inherent in the situation, both intra-societal and extra-societal, rather than of ethnic qualities, value systems or other factors that were purely external.тАЩ
Through another set of important articles on Raw Cotton production in Western/India from 1750 to 1901, published in the journals┬аIndian Economic and Social History Review┬аand┬аArtha Vijnana┬аin 1972 and 1973, Guha made important contributions to the тАШde-industrialisationтАЩ debate in India. On the basis of the working estimates of cotton acreage arrived at through this set of papers, Guha proposed further research┬атАЬto be extended to several new directions for a proper understanding of the nineteenth-century Indian economy.тАЭ
Years later, in 1985, in a critical review of the┬атАШCambridge Economic History of India Vol-IIтАЩ,┬аProf. Irfan Habib writes:
тАЬтАж For Western India, DivekarтАЩs finding is the same as that of Dharma Kumar: the weaversтАЩ real earnings fell тАШconsiderablyтАЩ between 1820s and 1840s. He also finds a decline in the number of looms though he gives numbers for only one place in the Bijapur district.
A more definitive result comes from Amalendu GuhaтАЩs calculations. He made an attempt to estimate handloom production by estimating raw-cotton production, reduced by the volume of exports and consumption in weaving factories. He found that the net availability of cotton yarn (including imported and machine-spun yarn) for handloom industry declined from 419 million Ibs in 1850 to 240 Ibs in 1870 and 184 or 221 million Ibs in 1900.тАЭ
ItтАЩs not as if he has done primary work on all these fields. Rather, in between a review of an article or a book, he would drop some extremely valuable insights about the theme and young scholars would devour and established scholars would take notice of these brief and yet extremely erudite comments.
One such book review by Guha, published in the journal┬аIndian Economic and Social History Review┬аin 1970, was of Peter MathiasтАЩ book published in 1969 тАШThe First Industrial Nation: An Economic History of BritainтАЩ. Mathias suggested that while foreign and colonial trade provided a strong boost to BritianтАЩs industrial expansion for quite some time till 1750 and also after 1783, it┬атАЬdoes not appear to have been as important a trigger тАУ mechanism relative at least to the internal marketтАЭ. Guha in his review opined that it is difficult to accept this conclusion by Mathias despite the fact that the internal market was several times bigger than the external market. Guha argued that to understand better British capital formation, rather than compare volumes of internal and external markets, it would be more fruitful to compare surpluses derived from the colonies with surplus generated within Britain.
Taking note of GuhaтАЩs argument in the review, foremost historian of the Annales School Fernand Braudel wrote in his book┬аThe Perspective of the World: Civilization and Capitalism, Vol-3┬а(page 581) wrote:
тАж Indeed I recognize the force of the argument advanced by the Indian historian Amalendu Guha, who suggests that rather than compare totals, we compare surpluses тАУ that is the surpluses England derived from India and the surplus savings in England which went into investment. According to various calculations, English investments amounted to about┬а┬г6 million in 1750 (5% of GNP) and to ┬г19 million in 1810 (7%). Set alongside these figures, are the ┬г2 million every year from India between 1750 and 1800 so very insignificant? We do not know in details how this money, the profits from India (in particular the wealth of the nabobs), was distributed throughout the British economy. But it was certainly neither wasted nor inactive. It went to raise the level of wealth of the island ingeneral; and it was upon such levels of wealth that EnglandтАЩs triumphs rested.
During the heyday of the Assam Movement (1979-85), the publication of an article titled┬атАШCudgel of ChauvinismтАЩ┬а(February 23, 1980) by Dr. Hiren Gohain initiated a lively debate in the pages of the journal┬аEconomic and Political Weekly┬аon the nature, content and rationale of the Assam Movement; a debate that came to be known as the тАЬNationality Question in Assam: The EPW DebateтАЭ and was later edited into a book by Prof. Abu Nasar Saied Ahmed (Omeo Kumar Das Institute, Guwahati).
Although the debate started with Dr. GohainтАЩs article, it was Guha prominent article┬атАШLittle Nationalism Turned Chauvinist: AssamтАЩs Anti-Foreigner Upsurge, 1979-80тАЩ┬а(Special Number, October, 1980) that became the central foci of the debate on the whole issue. Apart from Gohain and Guha, the debate drew rigorous input from Gail Omvedt, Lila Bara, Sanjib Baruah, Tilottama Misra and Udayon Misra. Guha further contributed to the debate with a substantial reply and a summing up.
Apart from focusing specifically on Assam, Guha also wrote several articles on the Nationality Question in India in general; most notably┬атАШIndian National Question: A Conceptual FrameтАЩ┬аand тАШNationalism: Pan Indian and Regional in a Historical PerspectiveтАЩ.
According to Prabhat Patnaik, GuhaтАЩs essay тАШThe Indian national question: A conceptual frameтАЩ should be regarded as one of the best works of тАШIndian MarxismтАЩ. Such over-enthusiasm, it seems, is not necessary. The kind of dual consciousness that Guha talks about тАУ one national and one regional тАУ that all Indians supposedly have тАУ cannot be guaranteed all the time. Rather, the essay seems like a poor attempt to adapt or imitate StalinтАЩs dictums on the nationality question. But even in such failures, one can see a very humane side of the old commie historian.┬а A man who came to communism in 1940тАЩs and 50тАЩs тАУ India meant something completely different from what it means today. India at that time was seen as a legitimate entity тАУ forged in the struggle against colonialism. That one day India might become synonymous with a brutal repressive machine, hell bent on repressing any kind of nationality aspirations, was not imaginable in the hearts and minds of that generation. Breaking up of India тАУ would be a terrible dream for this generation. The only alternative could be тАУ an alternative to bourgeois India тАУa socialist one. Thus wrote Guha, when he was still a young man in late 1940тАЩs, in a jubilant poem:
ржжрзЗржмрзЗ ржЬрж╛ржи, рждржмрзБ ржзрж╛ржи ржжрзЗржмрзЗ ржирж╛ ржХрж┐рж╖рж╛ржг!
ржЕрж░рзНржзржиржЧрзНржи ржорж╛ржирзБрж╖рзЗрж░ ржжржЦрж▓рж┐ ржирж┐рж╢рж╛ржи,
ржЙрзЬржмрзЗржЗ ржЬрзЗржирзЗрж╛ ржарж┐ржХ рж╣рж╛ржЬрж╛рж░ ржмрж╛ржЧрж╛ржирзЗ!
ржнрзАрж╖ржи ржирж╛ржоржмрж░ ржмржи ржкрзНрж░рж╛ржг ржкрж╛ржмрзЗ ржЧрзЗрж░рж┐рж▓рж╛рж░ ржЧрж╛ржирзЗ!
рж╢рждрзНрж░рзБрж░ рж╢рж┐ржмрж┐рж░рзЗ ржврзБржХрзЗ ржорж╛ржерж╛ ржХрж╛ржЯрж╛ ржнрзЗрж╛рж▓рзЗржирж┐ ржирж╛ржЧрж╛-рж░рж╛!
ржПржЦржиржУ ржЕржХрзЗржЬрзЗрж╛ ржирж╖ ржбржлрж▓рж╛рж░ ржмрж┐рж╖ржорж╛ржЦрж╛ рждрзАрж░!
рж╢рж╣рзАржж ржмрзАржгрж╛рж░ рж░ржХрзНржд ржирж╛рж▓рж┐рзЯрж╛ржкрзБрж▓рзЗрж░ ржШрж╛рж╕рзЗ ржЖржЬржУ ржЬрзЗржЧрзЗ ржЖржЫрзЗ,
ржЙржжрзНржмржд рж╢ржкрже ржЖржЬржУ ржкрзНрж░рждрж┐рж╢рзЛржз ржЦрзЗрж╛ржЬрзЗ !
The peasants would lay down their live but will not part with their paddy.
Half-naked workers' flag of occupation
shall flutter with certainty in thousand plantations.
The deep Nambar forest shall.reverberate with life from the song of guerillas.
The Nagas have not yet forgotten how to raid and behead the enemy.
The poisoned arrows of the Dafla are still not purposeless.
Shaheed Bina's blood is still alive on the grass of Naliapool,
Our oath still cries out for revenge.
- "рж▓рзБржЗржд ржкрж╛рж░рзЗрж░ ржЧрж╛ржерж╛ / Verse from the Bank of Luit" Amalendu Guha 1949/50
We offer our last tribute to this lifelong communist, peoplesтАЩ historian and life-affirming poet.
**********
A Bibliography (Non-exhaustive): Amalendu GuhaтАЩs work since 1948
[Note: Originally compiled by the editors of┬аAitihya Aru Itihash: Amalendu Guha Abhinandan Grantha, later the bibliography was expanded by the authors of this tribute.]
Books
Central Asia: Movement of Peoples and Ideas from Times Prehistoric to Modern┬а(Edited: Indian Council of Cultural Relations, New Delhi, 1970 / New York, 1971)
Planter-Raj to Swaraj: Freedom Struggle and Electoral Politics in Assam 1826-1947┬а(Indian Council for Historical Research, New Delhi, 1977, Reprint: 1988. Second edition: Tulika Publications, New Delhi, 2006)
Medieval and Early Colonial Assam: Society, Polity and Economy┬а(Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, 1991)
Jamindarkalin Goalpara Jilar Artha-Samajik Awastha: Eti Oitihasik Dristipat┬а(in Assamese, Dhubri, 1984; Reprint:┬а Guwahati, 2001)
Asam Namare Amio Namaro┬а(in Assamese, Guwahati, 1993)
Baishnav Badar Para Mayamaria Bidrohalai┬а(in Assamese, Guwahati, 1993)
Asamar Itihas: Adhyayan Aur Rachana┬а(in Assamese, Guwahati, 1994)
Luit Parer Gatha┬а(Collection of poetry in Bengali, Calcutta, 1955)
Tomaloi┬а(collection of Poetry in Assamese, Calcutta, 1960; 5th┬аEdition, Guwahati, 2000)
Soviet Deshat Ebhumuki┬а(Travelogue in Assamese, Calcutta, 1958)
Afghanistanat Ebhumuki┬а(Travelogue in Assamese, Calcutta, 1961, Reprint: 1968; Revised edition: Guwahati, 2002)
Afghanistan┬а(Translated into Malayalam by S. Krishna Pillai, Vidyarthi Mithram Press Book Depot, Kottayam, 1966)
Afghanistan┬а(Translated into Telegu by S.V Subhaya, Kaviraj Publishers, Tenali, 1967)
[The Southern Languages Book Trust, Madras helped the publication of Afghanistan not only in Malayalam and Telegu but also in Tamil and kannada.]
Prasannalal Chaudhurir Chenaki Kavita┬а(Compiled/edited: Calcutta, 1965)
Translated in Bengali (Jointly with Dr. Anima Guha), Syed Abdul Malik,┬аSurujmukhir Swapna┬а(National Book Trust, Delhi)
Articles
тАЬA Peep through 19th┬аCentury Assam: Haliram and JagnaramтАЭ,┬аAssam Tribune┬а(Guahati), Independence Special Issue, 15 August, 1948.
тАЬA Peep through 19th┬аCentury Assam: Maniram DewanтАЭ,┬аAssam Tribune┬а(Guahati), Independence Special Issue, 15 August, 1949.
┬атАЬRole of Sankardev in AssamтАЭ,┬аAssam Tribune┬а(Guahati), 18th┬аApril, 1950.
тАЬThe Moamaria Revolution: Was it a Class War?┬аAssam Tribune┬а(Guahati), 18th┬аOctober, 1950.
тАЬSlavery in AssamтАЭ, Modern Review┬а(Calcutta), April, 1950.
тАЬRise of Capitalistic Enterprises in AfghanistanтАЭ,┬аIndian Economic and Social History Review┬а(Delhi), Vol-1, October-December, 1963.
тАЬEconomic Development of Afghanistan: 1929-1961тАЭ,┬аInternational Studies┬а(New Delhi), Vol-6, April, 1965.
тАЬSocio-Economic Survey of a Suburban Village of Tezpur in 1965тАЭ,┬аJournal of Guahati University, Vol-16-17, 1965-1966.
тАЬLand Rights and Social Classes in Medieval AssamтАЭ,┬аIndian Economic and Social History Review, Vol-3, September, 1966.
тАЬAhom Migration: ItтАЩs Impact on the Rice Economy of Medieval AssamтАЭ,┬аArthavijnana┬а(Pune), Vol-9, June 1967.
тАЬThe Economy of Afghanistan during AmanullahтАЩs Reign: 1919-1929тАЭ,┬аInternational Studies, Vol-9, October, 1967.
тАЬColonisation of Assam: Second Phase 1840-59тАЭ,┬аIndian Economic and Social History Review, Vol-4, December 1967.
тАЬColonisation of Assam: Years of Transitional Crisis 1825-1840тАЭ, Indian Economic and Social History Review, Vol-5, June, 1968.
тАЬA Big Push without a Take-off: A Case Study of Assam 1871-1901тАЭ,┬аIndian Economic and Social History Review, Vol-5, September, 1968.
тАЬKarl Marx and the Drain TheoryтАЭ,┬аArthavijnana, Vol-10, September-December, 1968.
тАЬPlanning for IndiaтАЩs Northeast Region: An ApproachтАЭ, in Govt. of Kerala,┬аAlternative Policies for the Fourth Five Year Plan┬а(State Planning Board, Govt. of Kerala, Trivandrum, 1968).
тАЬSocio-Economic change in Agrarian AssamтАЭ, in M.K Choudhari,eds.,Trends in Socio-Economic Change in India┬а(Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla, 1969).
тАЬCentral Asian Economic Relations: Their Impact on 20th┬аCentury AfghanistanтАЭ, in Amalendu Guha eds.,┬аCentral Asia: Movement of Peoples and Ideas from Times Prehistoric to Modern┬а(Indian Council of Cultural Relations, New Delhi, 1970 / New York, 1971).
тАЬThe McMohan Line in contemporary HistoryтАЭ in M.S Rajan, eds.┬аStudies in Politics: National and International┬а(Delhi/London, 1970).
тАЬThe Parsi Seths as Entrepreneurs: 1750-1850тАЭ,┬аEconomic and Political Weekly, Vol-5, 29th┬аAugust, 1970.
тАЬThe Comprador Role of Parsi Seths: 1750-1850тАЭ,┬аEconomic and Political Weekly, Vol-5, 28th┬аNovember, 1970.
тАЬRaw Cotton of Western India: Output, transportation and Marketing 1750-1850тАЭ,┬аIndian Economic and Social History Review, Vol-9, March, 1972.
тАЬImpact of Bengal Renaissance on Assam 1825-1875тАЭ, тАЭ,┬аIndian Economic and Social History Review, Vol-9, September 1972; also in B. De eds., Essays in Honour of Prof. S.C Sarkar┬а(New Delhi, 1976)
тАЬRaw Cotton of Western India: A ReplyтАЭ, Indian Economic and Social History Review, Vol-10, January, 1973.
Co-authored, тАЬOrigins of Assamese Middle Class: A CommentтАЭ,┬аSocial Scientist, Vol-2, January-February, 1974.
тАЬGrowth of Acreage under Raw Cotton in India 1851-1901: A Quantitative AccountтАЭ,┬аArthavijnana, Vol-15, March, 1973.
тАЬGeography Behind History: An Introduction to the Socio-Economic Study of Northeast IndiaтАЭ,┬аNortheastern Affairs┬а(Shillong), Annual Number, 1973; and also in┬аProfessor D.D Kosambi Commemoration Volume: Science and Human Progress┬а(Bombay, 1974).
тАЬTribalism to Feudalism in Assam 1600-1750тАЭ,┬аIndian Historical Review, Vol-1, March, 1974.
тАЬA Big Push without a Take-off: A Case of Assam 1871-1901 тАУ A ReplyтАЭ,┬атАЭ, Indian Economic and Social History Review, Vol-11, December, 1974.
тАЬMarxist Approach to Indian History: A FrameworkтАЭ, in M. Kurien eds.,┬аIndia State and Society┬а(Madras, 1975).
Co-authored, тАЬRegional Development and the National Question in Northeast IndiaтАЭ,┬аSocial Scientists, Vol-4, August, 1975; also in B. Datta-Ray eds., Social and Economic Profile in the northeast India┬а(Calcutta, 1981).
тАЬFormation of a Working Class in Assam Plantation: A Study in RetrospectтАЭ,┬аNortheastern Affairs, Vol-5, Annual Number, 1976; also in Northeast India council for Social Science, Shillong,┬аProblems of Tea Industry in Northeast India┬а(Calcutta, 1981).
тАЬEast Bengal Immigrants and Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani in Assam Politics 1928-47тАЭ,┬аIndian Economic and Social History Review, Vol-13, October-December, 1976.
тАЬPeasant Movement and Assam Politics in the 1930sтАЭ,┬аJournal of Historical Research┬а(University of Dibrugarh), Vol-2, March, 1977.
тАЬImperialism of Opium in Assam 1773-1921тАЭ,┬аCalcutta Historical Research, Vol-1, January-June, 1977.
тАЬForeign and Indian Merchant Capital: Its Impact on Pre-Colonial BengalтАЭ,┬аEconomic and Political Weekly, Vol-11, 28th┬аAugust, 1976.
тАЬLenin on the Agrarian Question: Annotated BibliographyтАЭ,┬аSocial Scientist, Vol-5, April, 1977.
тАЬImmigrants and autochthons in a Plural Society: Their Interrelations in Brahmaputra ValleyтАЭ, in S.M Dubey eds., Northeast India: A Sociological Study┬а(Delhi, 1978).
"Assamese Peasant Society in the Late Nineteenth Century: Structure and Trend.тАЭ┬аCSSSC┬аOccasional Papers, Number 25, 1979.
тАЬGreat Nationalism, Little Nationalism and the Problem of IntegrationтАЭ,┬аEconomic and Political weekly, Vol-14, Annual Number, February, 1979.
тАЬAssamese Agrarian Society in the 19th┬аCentury: Roots, Structures and TrendsтАЭ, Indian Economic and History Review, Vol-17, January-March, 1980.
тАЬLittle Nationalism Turned Chauvinist: AssamтАЩs Anti-foreigner Upsurge 1979-1980тАЭ, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol-15, Special Number, October, 1980.
тАЬLittle Nationalism Turned Chauvinist тАУ A ReplyтАЭ,┬аEconomic and Political Weekly, Vol-16, No-17, April 1981.
тАЬLittle Nationalism Turned Chauvinist тАУ A Summing UpтАЭ,┬аEconomic and Political Weekly, Vol-16, No-21, May 1981.
тАЬMedieval Economy of AssamтАЭ in Tapan Raichauduri and Irfan Habib eds.,┬аCambridge Economic History of India, Vol-1: C.1200 тАУ C.1750┬а(London, 1982).
тАЬA Historiographical Perspective for Northeast IndiaтАЭ, (Presidential Address, Second Annual Conference, Northeast India History Association, held in Dibrugarh University, 25th┬атАУ 27th┬аSeptember, 1981). Published in┬аMan in India┬а(Ranchi), Vol-62, September, 1982.
тАЬThe Ahom Political System: An Enquiry into the State Formation Process in Medieval Assam 1228-1780,┬аSocial Scientist, Vol-11, December, 1980; also in Surajit Sinha eds.,┬аTribal Politics and State systems in Precolonial Eastern & Northeastern India, Calcutta, 1987.
тАЬIndian National Question: A Conceptual FrameтАЭ,┬аEconomic and Political Weekly, Vol-17, Special Number, 31st┬аJuly, 1982.
тАЬZamindars, Jotedars and Peasants in BengalтАЭ,┬аThe Book Review, Vol-5, January-February, 1981.
тАЬLanguage Politics in Northeast India: The BackgroundтАЭ, in Mrinal Miri eds.,┬аLinguistic Situation in Northeast India, Shillong, 1982.
тАЬIdeological Roots of the Permanent SettlementтАЭ,┬аEconomic and Political Weekly, Vol-17, 9th┬аOctober, 1982.
"More About Parsi Seths: Their Roots, Entrepreneurship and Comprador Role 1650-1918",┬аEconomic and Political Weekly, Vol-19, 21st January, 1984; also in D. Tripathi eds.,┬аBusiness Communities of India: A Historical Perspective, Delhi, 1984.
тАЬNationalism: Pan Indian and Regional in a Historical PerspectiveтАЭ, (Presidential Address to the Modern Indian History Section, Indian History Congress, Burdwan, 1983). Published in┬аSocial Scientist, Vol-12, February, 1984.
тАЬPre-Ahom Roots and the Medieval State in Assam: A ReplyтАЭ,┬аSocial Scientist, Vol-12, June, 1984.
Co-authored, тАЬThe 1983 Assam Assembly Poll: An analysis of its Background and ImplicationsтАЭ, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol-20, 11th┬аMay, 1985.
┬атАЬNeo-Vaishnavism to Insurgency: Peasant Uprising and the Crisis of Feudalism in Late 18th┬аCentury AssamтАЭ, in Ashok Mitra eds.,┬аThe Truth Unites: Essays in Tribute to Samar Sen, Calcutta, 1985.
тАЬDupleixтАЩs Trade Mission to Assam 1738-40тАЭ, in┬аProceedings of North East India History Association, (6th┬аSession, Agartala, 1985).
тАЬThe decline of the Ahom kingdom of Assam: 1765-1826тАЭ,┬аCSSSC Occasional Paper No. 84. Calcutta, 1986.
тАЬThe Decline of IndiaтАЩs Cotton Handicraft, 1800-1905: A Quantitative Macro-StudyтАЭ,┬аCSSSC Occasional Paper No. 117, Calcutta 1989.
"Ethnic process in India with a special reference to Assam'."Proceedings of Northeast India History Association,┬а1989.
Book Reviews
тАЬBook Review:┬аThe First Industrial Nation: An Economic History of Britain┬аby Peter MathiasтАЭ,┬аIndian Social and Economic History Review, Vol-7, No-3, July 1970.
тАЬBook Review:┬аAgricultural Development in Nepal┬аby┬аY.P. Pant and S.C. Jain. VoraтАЭ,┬аIndia Quarterly, Vol-26, July, 1970.
тАЬProgressive Imperialism тАУ A Review of The Apotheosis of Imperialism: Indian Land Economy under Curzon, 1899-1905┬аby V. C. BhutaniтАЭ,┬аEconomic and Political Weekly, Vol-12, 14th┬аMay, 1977.
тАЬBureaucracy and the Ruling Class - A Review of┬аThe Bureaucracy in India: A Historical Analysis of Development upto 1974┬аby B B MisraтАЭ,┬аEconomic and Political Weekly, vol-12, 2 July, 1977.
тАЬPolitical Economy of Indian Nationalism: 19th┬аCentury Roots тАУ A Review of Indian Economic Thought: Nineteenth Century Perspectives┬аby B. N. GanguliтАЭ,┬аEconomic and Political Weekly, Vol-12, 26th┬аNovember, 1977.
тАЬPolitics of Gandhi Era - A Review of Congress and the Raj: Facets of the Indian Struggle 1917-47┬аby D. A. LowтАЭ,┬аEconomic and Political Weekly, Vol-13, 26th┬аAugust, 1978.
тАЬNew Imperialism Re-examined: Britain in the Scramble for Southeast Asia тАУ Review of British Trade and Expansion in Southeast Asia, 1830-1914┬аby D. R. SarDesaiтАЭ, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol-13, and 11th┬аNovember, 1978.
тАЬA Colourless Chronicle тАУ A Review of Orissa State Legislature and Freedom Struggle┬аby Kishori Mohan PatraтАЭ,┬аEconomic and Political Weekly, Vol-14, 17th┬аNovember, 1979.
тАЬBook Review:┬аClass Formation in a Plantation System┬аby Sharit BhowmikтАЭ,┬аIndian Economic and Social History Review,┬аVol-19, July, 1982.
тАЬBook Review:┬аIndia and Afghanistan: A Study in Diplomatic Relations 1876тАУ1907┬аby D.P SinghalтАЭ,┬аIndia Quarterly, Vol-40, July, 1984.
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Bonojit Hussain is a Delhi based independent researcher. Mayur Chetia is a research scholar at Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Both are also activists associated with New Socialist Initiative (NSI).
