Challenges of Rebuilding Life After Floods: A Former Insurgent's Struggle

The Struggles of Chittaranjan Gogoi

MAJGAON, Oct 30: After 18 years of reintegration into society, 61-year-old Chittaranjan Gogoi believed he was finally on the path to rebuilding his life. He had just started constructing a modest home through a government initiative when the catastrophic floods in July devastated his village, destroying the bricks and his dreams of a stable residence.

Known as Chinmoy Sarma, Gogoi's transition to civilian life has been as challenging as the four and a half years he spent in the jungles of Myanmar with the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).

His involvement in insurgency began after a brief period with the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) during the Assam Agitation. He surrendered in 2008, aiming to leave his past behind and start anew. However, life outside the insurgency presented its own hurdles, with job opportunities scarce and financial instability a constant issue.

Following his surrender, Gogoi completed six months of training in software and hardware at the Indian Army’s Dinjan camp, but this training did not lead to employment.

“Around 20-22 of us were trained at Dinjan. After that, I searched tirelessly for a job. Many offices were reluctant to hire former rebels, and the police required candidates to undergo physical training. Eventually, I lost hope and started a small stone business,” Gogoi recounted, sitting outside a temporary shelter.

The government had provided him with Rs 1.5 lakh as a one-time aid post-surrender, but most of this money was consumed by legal fees due to multiple cases against him. He ultimately had to sell a piece of land to cover his financial obligations.

“The administration allowed me to stay on this plot in Majgaon. After suffering losses in the stone business, I turned to farming and bought a few goats,” he explained.

This uncertain yet modest livelihood allowed him to survive until the floods struck.

Gogoi had just begun constructing a small house under a government housing scheme when the floodwaters swept it away. With his home and livelihood lost, he found himself back at square one.

“The floods took everything. The shelter I currently live in was provided by a former legislator,” he stated.

For nearly three months after the floods, Gogoi stayed with a relative before moving into his temporary shelter a few days ago. This structure offers minimal protection, with only a bamboo toilet and no bathroom.

After 18 years since his surrender, Gogoi is once again faced with the daunting question of how to start over.

“I am uncertain about what to do next. The goats are gone. I’ve heard some people have resumed farming, but there have been pest issues. The bottle gourd and mustard green plants are wilting shortly after sprouting,” he lamented.

His situation mirrors the broader distress in Majgaon and surrounding areas, where the floods have ravaged homes, buried agricultural land under silt, and disrupted livelihoods.

The greater Sontok and Simaluguri regions rely heavily on Majgaon and Nepali Khuti for their supply of lai xaak. With farmers struggling to resume cultivation, the availability of this leafy vegetable has plummeted, causing prices to more than double.

In Majgaon, approximately nine out of the village's 70 houses were completely destroyed by the floods. Most affected families relied on farming, while others worked as daily wage laborers.

Nearly three months post-disaster, the signs of devastation remain evident. Residents are still cleaning their homes and removing silt and debris. Agricultural fields are buried under sediment, and broken trees and branches litter the landscape.

The villagers have been informed that the government intends to build an embankment along the Dikhow river to prevent future disasters. However, this project may necessitate the relocation of some households, with reports indicating that affected families might be moved to the safer village of Rangajan.

For Gogoi, an embankment and relocation plan may not sufficiently address the root causes of the disaster.

“We need a concrete solution. There should be an investigation into whether stone quarrying and coal mining in Nagaland's upper regions contributed to this disaster. A lasting resolution will require collaboration between the Assam and Nagaland governments. Erosion is also a significant concern. Why is the Dikhow river behaving erratically and changing its course? The government must find answers and take appropriate action,” he asserted.

The Assam government is currently conducting a damage assessment survey to evaluate the compensation needed for affected families. Once completed, the final report will be submitted to the Centre to facilitate the release of funds.

For now, however, relief and rehabilitation remain uncertain as villagers continue to struggle with the aftermath of the disaster. They await assistance and answers regarding the loss of their homes and livelihoods and what measures can be taken to avert future calamities.

The July floods impacted 27 districts across Assam, resulting in 106 fatalities, including 17 children, while 10 individuals remain unaccounted for.

For Gogoi, this disaster has intensified an ongoing struggle. Having once left the jungles of Myanmar to forge a life in society, he now faces yet another uncertain beginning amid the ruins of a home he had only just started to build. The hope for a fresh start continues to elude him.