English हिन्दी
Connect with us

India News

Veteran Congress leader Santosh Mohan Dev passes away at 83

Published

9 years ago

on

Santosh Mohan Dev

He made immense contribution to build the party right from grassroots level in the Northeast

~By Sujit Bhar

Santosh Mohan Dev, a veteran Congress leader and a pillar of support for the party in Assam’s Silchar as well as in Tripura, died at a hospital on Wednesday (August 2). He was 83.

The former Union heavy industries and steel minister and seven-time MP from the area died in a local hospital. His daughter, Sushmita Dev, also an MP, tweeted: “Nothing could have prepared me for this moment. I lost him at 6.06 am today (Wednesday). Thank you, everyone, for your prayers, your love for him,” as per agency reports.

Apart from heavy industries and steel, he had also held the Minister of State (MoS) for Communications from 1986-1988 and MoS for Home between 1988and 1989. It was during the PV Narasimha Rao government in 1991 that he got independent charge of Steel.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said: “Saddened by the passing away of Santosh Mohan Dev. He was a veteran political leader who worked extensively for the welfare of people. My thoughts are with the family and supporters of Santosh Mohan Dev in this hour of grief.”

Congress President Sonia Gandhi said: “In a political career spanning five decades, Dev held numerous crucial political assignments in the Congress party and in the government, including that of a Union Cabinet Minister. His immense contribution to building the party in the Northeast, right from the grassroots level, would always be remembered.”

What Sonia was talking about was the other side of Dev that the Congress benefitted from. Dev had great knowledge of and influence on the intricate politics of the north eastern region, especially the tribal areas. Apart from his ministerial work, he also delved in issues such as the Bodo agitation that took shape at the time. With the usual Congress method of neglect growing in contentious areas, Dev was asked to step in and provide appeasement with money.

This correspondent had been around when hard cash was dumped on the movement and dissent soon dampened. Dev was instrumental in bringing civic relief, albeit through means that would not have any lasting effect. However, as long as Dev was active – in the latter stages of his life he somewhat withdrew from public life, leaving the political work mostly to his daughter – he wielded the great influence that his family had in the area in containing any form of dissent. Unfortunately, such methods of containment, over time, yielded to more dissent and ulterior motives of the Congress in keeping dissent alive in the area were alleged, though never proved.

Technically, Silchar remains an underdeveloped town, with little communication and sparse facilities for the public at large. This correspondent had been around in the town during Dev’s heydays, when the water supply of the town became so putrid and dangerous, this correspondent was tied to bed with blood dysentery. Doctors diagnosed the water supply of the town as the culprit. Diseases were rampant and the presence of an important Union minister in town was barely noticeable.

What Dev did excel in was in the inside working of the party, specific to his area, where he held sway on several counts. He managed intricate small fiefdoms of minor leaders with aplomb, but he was more adept at knitting into his design the presence of senior Congress leaders from New Delhi. Back home in Silchar, this was a large selling point for influence-garnering.

He hailed from a freedom fighter’s family. He was a third generation Congressman and his father Satindra Mohan Dev was a freedom fighter of repute and was close to Jawaharlal Nehru, being jailed more than once for his opposition to British rule, while his grandfather Kali Mohan Dev was also an active member of the Indian freedom struggle and a member of the first ever Silchar Municipal council in 1913. That had installed his family as virtually the first family of Silchar. His sphere of influence was so immense in that area that he became one of the rare cases where he was elected as MP from two different states – Assam and Tripura – and he did use his influence to stymie popular uprisings in the area with ease.

While tensions have remained in the area, the pipe-chewing, suave image of Dev will remain imprinted in the minds of many who have known him. He was the quintessential Congressman as history in India has recorded. They don’t make any like them anymore. Not in the Congress.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

India News

PM Modi takes aim at critics with Dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC centenary address

PM Modi revived his dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC’s centenary celebrations and spoke about India’s development journey.

Published

7 hours ago

on

September 6, 2026

By

PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi revived his ‘dimagi Naxal’ remark while addressing the centenary celebrations of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in Delhi on Saturday, using the term to criticise his opponents.

Speaking to students at the Delhi college, PM Modi described the phrase as a “homeopathic pill” and said it had prompted those he described as “dimagi Naxals” to come forward and reveal their views.

The prime minister also used his address to speak to Gen-Z about India’s development journey and asked students to consider the challenges the country had faced in the past.

PM Modi recalls past crises

During his speech, PM Modi referred to the 2013 Kedarnath disaster and the 2008 global financial crisis while criticising the handling of national emergencies by previous governments.

He said the government at the time of the Kedarnath disaster was shaken and questioned its ability to respond to the crisis.

Referring to the 2008 banking crisis, PM Modi alleged that the government of the time failed to effectively deal with the situation and claimed that India’s banking system was pushed close to collapse.

Prime minister lists challenges faced by his government

PM Modi also highlighted several major global crises that occurred during his government’s tenure.

He mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, disruptions to global trade and supply chains, and the crisis in West Asia.

The prime minister said there had been concerns that India would struggle during these crises but argued that the country had continued to move forward.

PM Modi’s earlier SRCC visit

PM Modi had earlier visited SRCC in 2013, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. His speech at the college received significant attention, particularly on social media, ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

His latest visit came during the college’s centenary celebrations, where his address focused on young people, India’s development ambitions and the challenges faced by the country.

Continue Reading

India News

India Metro Rail Network May Overtake US in 2 Years

India’s metro rail network has reached 1,170 km across 26 cities. Union minister Manohar Lal said the country could overtake the US in network length within two years.

Published

22 hours ago

on

September 5, 2026

By

Manohar Lal Khattar

India is on track to become the country with the second-largest metro rail network in the world after China, with Union Minister Manohar Lal saying the country could overtake the United States within the next two years.

India’s metro rail network has now expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities. The network is only 216 km shorter than the US metro rail network, which stands at 1,386 km, according to figures cited by the minister.

India’s metro network expands rapidly

Speaking after the inauguration of an extended metro service in Indore, Manohar Lal highlighted the pace at which metro connectivity has grown in India.

He said metro services were operational across just 245 km in five cities when Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014. The network has since expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities.

The minister said India could overtake the US in terms of metro rail network length in the next two years and become the world’s second-largest country in this segment after China.

China currently has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines, according to the figures cited by the minister.

Indore metro extension inaugurated

The minister made the remarks after inaugurating an extended section of the Indore metro. The project was built at a cost of around Rs 2,850 crore.

The Indore metro was earlier operating commercially on a six-km stretch between Gandhi Nagar and Super Corridor-3 stations. Following the extension, the service will operate on a 17-km route between Gandhi Nagar and Malviya Nagar Chauraha.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the metro service would mark a new phase in Indore’s development. He also said the network would eventually be extended to Ujjain and other nearby areas.

India’s metro rail network: Key figures

  • India currently has 1,170 km of operational metro rail network.
  • Metro services are operational across 26 cities.
  • The US has around 1,386 km of metro rail network.
  • India is currently 216 km behind the US.
  • China has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines.
  • India’s operational network stood at 245 km across five cities in 2014.

Continue Reading

India News

PM Modi returns to SRCC after 13 years, revisits 2013 glass full speech

PM Narendra Modi returned to SRCC after 13 years for its centenary celebrations, revisiting themes from his landmark 2013 address.

Published

22 hours ago

on

September 5, 2026

By

PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to Delhi University’s Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) on Saturday, 13 years after his previous visit to the institution as Gujarat chief minister. 

His latest visit came as SRCC marked its centenary celebrations. Modi’s 2013 address at the college had attracted significant attention as he spoke about India’s youth, governance and the country’s demographic potential.

In 2013, Modi was Gujarat chief minister and had not yet been named the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. He returned to the same campus this year as Prime Minister, having completed 12 years as Prime Minister and serving his third consecutive term. 

What PM Modi said at SRCC in 2013

The 2013 lecture was titled Emerging Business Models in the Global Scenario. The address also covered governance and India’s young population.

He described India’s youth as a source of national strength rather than simply a group of new-age voters. He also highlighted India’s demographic advantage and argued that the country needed to make better use of its young population.

One of the notable moments from the speech involved a glass of water.  Modi contrasted the conventional descriptions of a glass as half full or half empty and said he viewed it as full, with half containing water and the other half air.

The speech also included his remarks on technology and young Indians. Referring to an anecdote from a visit to Taiwan, Modi used the phrase “mouse-charmers” to describe Indians using computers and suggested that young Indians had the ability to influence the world through technology.

‘Minimum government, maximum governance’

Modi’s 2013 address also touched on governance. He spoke about the role of government and the need for better governance.

He also spoke about India’s potential in the 21st century. 

Modi returns as PM for SRCC centenary

The September 5 visit coincided with Teachers’ Day and SRCC’s 100th anniversary. The Prime Minister’s Office had announced that Modi would participate in the college’s centenary celebrations and address the gathering. SRCC was established in 1926 by industrialist and philanthropist Sir Shri Ram.

Earlier this year, Modi also met the SRCC governing body at his residence in April in connection with the college’s centenary celebrations and released a commemorative postage stamp marking the occasion. 

The return to SRCC came 13 years after his 2013 appearance at the college, when he addressed students as Gujarat chief minister.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com