Upendra Nath Brahma

Upendranath Brahma (Bodo: उपेन्द्रनाथ ब्रह्मा) (31 March 1956 – 1 May 1990) was a Bodo social activists and the former president of ABSU.

Brahma was born in Boragari village of Dotma, a small township at Kokrajhar district of Assam, India. He was a son of Mr. Monglaram Brahma and Ms. Lefsri Brahma. He was the fifth, and youngest, child. He was called "Thopen" during his childhood. He grew up in poverty.

From 1963, Brahma studied at various schools, including Dotma High School, Kokrajhar High School and, in 1973, at Sakti Ashram High and Vocational School under the guidance of Swamiji. In 1975, he passed the matriculation examination in the first division with letter marks in Mathematics. He secured 67% marks in the examination. Thereafter he obtained a BSc honours degree in Physics from Cotton College before enrolling at Gauhati University in 1981 for his MSc degree. Brahma also worked as a graduate science teacher at the Nehru Vocational High School in Gossainichina, and studied for a BA at Kokrajhar College during that period. He obtained his BA in 1985 and his MSc in 1986. He had also been admitted to study law on an LLB course in 1984 but this ended abruptly due to him being bullied.

He lectured in many parts of Assam on the theme of discrimination against Bodo people. He claimed that they were treated as second class citizens and that their young people had no employment opportunities upon completion of their education. Jobs in Assam were mostly occupied by Assamese-speaking individuals. But now the scene has changed with Bodos working all over Assam in top ranking jobs with the introduction of about 20% ST and SC reserved quotas.

Brahma was elected as the President of the Goalpara District Students Union in 1978–79. He was vice-president of the All Bodo Students Union between 1981–1983 and president from 1986. Through this body he worked for the rights of the community, which he believed to be losing not merely its culture but also its political rights. Under his leadership, the ABSU agreed to include political issues as part of its agenda.

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