Bijoy Krishna Handique

Handique studied English literature at Presidency College, Calcutta (now Kolkata). He went on to complete M.A. in English from the University of Calcutta.

He attended Jorhat Govt. Boys' H.S and M.P. School in his formative years.

In Class VII, he joined the local Students' Congress, during India's freedom movement. There, he mobilised other students in a 'Vote for Congress' campaign, before the Assam provincial elections of 1945. He organised literary circles for talks around freedom. This was much against the wishes of his father, who then wanted him to pursue a career in academics.Conversation with B K Handique and others

He became a member of Youth Congress formally in 1961.

In the early 1960s, Handique became concerned about the lack of an English medium school in the vast Upper Assam area. This led him to eventually establish the Hemlata Handiqui Memorial Institute [HHMI], the first English medium school in Upper Assam, in 1962. This eventually developed HHMI, which encouraged students to take up subjects as diverse as workshops on music and Shakespeare.

The task was not without its hiccups, though land for the school was purchased by Handique's family. Within months of the school starting its first classes, the Indo-China war of 1962 broke out. This created panic in Jorhat, and many teachers and students fled from the town. He assisted the Red Cross in their efforts at training and organisation.B K Handique, "Time Present, Time Past: HHMI 1962-2012, Jorhat, 2012"

Handique donated his mother's jewellery to the war effort.B K Handique, "Time Present, Time Past: HHMI 1962-2012, Jorhat, 2012

"Many people fled following the Chinese aggression and the fall of Tawang and Bomdila in the northeastern sector. There was great panic. Our first principal, J S Walters, went missing. He left without notice, taking only his bicycle with him. Due to fears of a full scale war, the school was closed for a month."B K Handique, "Time Present Time Past: HHMI 1962-2012" Commemorative volume, Jorhat

In 2012, the school celebrated its 50th anniversary. Handique composed a song for the occasion, set to tune by a former student.{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1121026/jsp/northeast/story_16121856.jsp#.Ux74Nz_7KWh|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304095319/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1121026/jsp/northeast/story_16121856.jsp#.Ux74Nz_7KWh|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 March 2016|title=Lyrical traits of a leader|work=The Telegraph}}

{{expand section|date=March 2014}}

Handique was a member of:{{cite web|url=http://164.100.47.132/lssnew/Members/Biography.aspx?mpsno=149|title=Lok Sabha|work=47.132|access-date=8 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312224736/http://164.100.47.132/lssnew/Members/Biography.aspx?mpsno=149|archive-date=12 March 2014|url-status=dead}}

• Consultative Committee, Ministry of Education & Sports Affairs (1980–90)
• Committee of Privileges (1984–85)
• Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (1982–84)

After 1986, he stayed on the Consultative Committee, Ministry of Education & Sports Affairs until 1990.{{how|date=March 2014}}

Handique was a member of:

• Committee on Industry (1991-1996)
• Committee on Food & Supplies (1991-1996)
• Committee on Official Language (1991-1996)
• Consultative Committee, Ministry of Petroleum (1991-1996)

Handique was a member of:

• Committee on Industry (1998-1999)
• Consultative Committee, Ministry of External Affairs (1997-1999)
• Chairman, Railway Convention Committee, (1998-1999)

Handique has been critical of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) and has given his views on the floor of Parliament. The Act gives the Indian Army immunity to arrest without warrant on suspicion, shoot and kill any citizen in areas deemed disturbed by the government, without any recourse to scrutiny. AFPSA is currently implemented in certain parts of Northeast India and Kashmir.

In July 1998 at the Lok Sabha debates, he said, "The Armed Forces operating in the insurgency-prone Northeast, was never examined to assess that this could degenerate into a Draconian piece of legislation… an Army officer armed with such power to kill, an immunity under the Act, is naturally instigated to invoke such powers right from the word 'go' in a confrontation... If fighting terrorism is a state of mind, then causing deaths, while tackling the terrorists, is also likely to be registered on an Army personnel's state of mind. So it's full of paradox. Government deploys the Army to fight the terrorists for the protection of its citizens, but it's the common men and women who are caught in the crossfire and suffer the most... I understand the feelings where brutal operations were conducted under the Armed Forces Act. It's true that the scars on the soul cannot be bartered away with economic packages".Lok Sabha Debates; July 1998

Handique was a member of:

• Lok Sabha Rules Committee (1999-2004)
• Consultative Committee, Ministry of External Affairs (1999-2004)
• Committee on Petroleum and Chemicals (1999-2000)

Handique held the following positions:

• Union Minister of State, Chemicals & Fertilizers, 2006 –2009
• Union Minister of State, Parliamentary Affairs, 2004-2007
• File:Manmohan Singh being received by the Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Priyaranjan Dasmunsi before the beginning of winter session of Parliament, in New Delhi on November 15, 2007.jpg and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 15 November 2007.]]Union Minister of State, Defence, 2004 –2006

Before he took ministerial responsibilities in 2004, Handique frequently spoke on Parliamentary processes and procedures to Central government probationary officers including Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officers. These lectures were organised by the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training.{{cite web|url=http://bpst.nic.in/|title=BPST, Lok Sabha Secretariat, Indian Parliament, Delhi, India|work=bpst.nic.in|access-date=8 March 2014|archive-date=1 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301063020/http://bpst.nic.in/|url-status=dead}}{{better source needed|date=March 2014|reason=point source to specific lecture topics involving Handique}}

As Minister of State and Cabinet Minister for seven years in the 14th and part of 15th Lok Sabha (between June 2004 and July 2011), Handique participated in debates on behalf of the government. Only starred questions and replies have been included in the three volumesB K Handique, "A Life in Parliament," New Delhi, 2013 for economy of space. Under Parliamentary proceedings, ministers do not ask questions, but reply to questions of Members. They also do not introduce private member bills.

They include debates on Assam Appropriation Bill, Assam State legislature (Delegation of Powers) Bill, 1981, Floods in Assam, Chaparmukh-Silghat Railway line Bill, Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Bill, Tea (Amendment) Bill, Gangtok Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, among others.

Bills of national importance include Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Bill, The Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 1985, Handloom Bill, The Copyrights (Amendment) Bill, National Health Policy, General Budgets and Finance Bills, among others.

"Scope of a Minister as a Parliamentarian, is of course different from that of a Member of Parliament. How I speak as an M.P. from the Treasury Benches, as a Member in Opposition and as a member of the Council of Ministers follow conventionally different patterns", Handique writes in his foreword to A Life in Parliament.

File:The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil administering the oath as Cabinet Minister to Shri B.K. Handique, at a Swearing-in Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on May 22, 2009.jpg Pratibha Patil administering the oath as cabinet minister to Handique in New Delhi on 22 May 2009]]

He was the Minister of Mines from May 2009 to 18 January 2011, Minister of Development of North Eastern Region from May 2009 to July 2011{{cite web |url=http://india.gov.in/govt/cabinet.php |title=Council of Ministers – Who's Who – Government: National Portal of India |work=india.gov.in |publisher=Government of India |access-date=11 August 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100813133910/http://india.gov.in/govt/cabinet.php| archive-date= 13 August 2010 | url-status= live}} and Minister of State, Defence & Parliamentary Affairs, Mines & Chemicals and Fertilizers between 2004 and 2009.

In the 15th Lok Sabha elections, Handique won from the Jorhat constituency for the sixth consecutive term and was promoted to Union Cabinet minister status. He formally took the oath of office as Union Cabinet Minister holding dual charges of Mines and the Development of North East Region (DoNER) portfolios.

Handique was appointed a Minister of State for Defence and Parliamentary Affairs in 2004, and then was a Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers and Mines up to 2009. It was during his tenure as Union Cabinet Minister of Mines from May 2009 to January 2011 that a new direction was given to the Nation's Mining Policy with the clause for participation and inclusion of local communities in mining belts including tribal areas. The Draft mining bill initiated by Handique was due for introduction in the Indian Parliament.

Handique proposed that 26% of equity or profits from the mining operations of a company should go to the people directly affected by the mining operations. He proposed that this was the only way to give the local tribal populations in mining areas a stake in their operations.{{cite web|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2714/stories/20100716271402600.htm|title=An exercise at reform|work=frontline.in}}

Handique proposed to make locals –project affected people [PAP]- the stakeholders in the project, and thus remove major impediment in expansion of old or development of new mines.

During his tenure, Handique came under pressure to sell off the government's stakes in profitable mining companies like Coal India Ltd and Hindustan Copper Ltd, to private players. Despite that, he reasoned that since it was difficult to value these companies and because the benefits of privatisation were not obvious, the government would not sell its stake.[//www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/article452025.ece The decision not to sell is reported here.]

He also blocked the privatisation-by-stealth strategy of mining companies like Vedanta Resources.{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/no-back-door-entry-to-private-firms-for-mining-bk-handique/article666672.ece|title=No back door entry to private firms for mining: B.K. Handique|agency=Press Trust of India|work=The Hindu|date=15 September 2010 }}

Handique proposed a windfall tax on ore exported to raise resources for the people adversely affected by projects.{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/todays-paper/tp-economy/merchant-miners-neglecting-social-responsibility/article994915.ece|title=Merchant miners neglecting social responsibility|work=The Hindu Business Line|date=21 June 2010 }}

Despite his proposal for a windfall tax, Handique was not in favour of banning mining activities in any state.{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/ban-not-the-answer-to-illegal-mining-says-handique/article552467.ece|title=Ban not the answer to illegal mining, says Handique|author=Sujay Mehdudia|work=The Hindu|date=4 August 2010 }} He requested chief ministers of all mining states to cooperate with the government's efforts to clean up mining and ensure proper revenue collection.{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/illegal-mining-handique-targets-chief-ministers/article85416.ece|title=Illegal mining: Handique targets Chief Ministers|work=The Hindu|date=2 December 2009 }}{{cite web|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/et-now/corporate/et-interview-with-bk-handique-mines-minister/videoshow/6123669.cms|title=ET Interview with BK Handique, Mines Minister - The Economic Times Video - ET Now|work=The Economic Times|date=3 July 2010 }}

During his tenure as Minister of Development of North Eastern Region, he initiated policy changes regarding connectivity, promotion of youth and industry in the Region. Integration of the Region to the Mainstream was his major focus as the Minister of DoNER.

After tendering his resignation as Cabinet Minister, Handique was appointed chairman of the newly constituted parliamentary Standing Committee for Welfare of Other Backward Classes.

After 2012, he was a member of the Indian National Congress' Central Election Committee. The 14-member panel, chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, is entrusted with the task of selecting party candidates for state and national elections.

Handique married Swarup Rani Borgohain in 1965. He had three married daughters and two grandchildren. In retirement, He was an occasional poet and whole time environmentalist. He was deeply interested in wildlife and conservation.

On 25 July 2015, Handique was admitted to Jorhat Medical College due to heart-related and respiratory ailments. In the afternoon of the same day, he was admitted to the ICU. On 26 July 2015, Handique died of a cardiact arrest,{{Cite news |title=State mourns death of a Congressman - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/state-mourns-death-of-a-congressman/articleshow/48241986.cms |access-date=2022-05-01 |website=The Times of India|date=28 July 2015 }} aged 80 at around 12:30 PM.{{Cite news |title=Former Union Minister Bijoy Krishna Handique passes away |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/former-union-minister-bijoy-krishna-handique-passes-away/articleshow/48224417.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2022-05-01}}{{Cite web |date=2015-07-27 |title=Former union minister B K Handique dead |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/former-union-minister-b-k-handique-passes-away/ |access-date=2022-05-01 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2015-07-26 |title=Former Union minister BK Handique dies in Assam |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/former-union-minister-bk-handique-dies-in-assam/story-YN0mFBAdAL3eKztQHNPvXL.html |access-date=2022-05-01 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2015-07-26 |title=Former union minister BK Handique is dead {{!}} India News |url=https://zeenews.india.com/news/india/former-union-minister-bk-handique-is-dead_1636511.html |access-date=2022-05-01 |website=Zee News |language=en}}

Many political figures paid tribute to him, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Tarun Gogoi, Sarat Barkotoky, Anjan Dutta, Ajanta Neog and many others.{{Cite web |title=Congress loses a stalwart in Assam |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/congress-loses-a-stalwart-in-assam/cid/1479762 |access-date=2022-05-01 |website=www.telegraphindia.com}} Sonia Gandhi said of Handique "he was a valued member of the previous UPA governments and the void created by his death will be hard to fill." The Assam government announced that Handique would be cremated with full state honours. Government offices and educational institutions of the district observed a half-holiday.{{Cite web |last=Correspondent |date=2010-09-15 |title=Thousands bid tearful adieu to BK Handique |url=https://assamtribune.com/thousands-bid-tearful-adieu-to-bk-handique |access-date=2022-05-01 |website=assamtribune.com |language=en}}

On 27 July Handique's body was taken to the Hemalata Handique Memorial Institute School and to the office of the Jorhat District Congress Committee. He was cremated with full state honours at the Tarajan cremation ground, with his daughter Maitreyee liting the funeral pyre at 6 PM amid a gun salute by Assam police personnel. Many political leaders, workers, representatives of various organisations and locals were present.

Handique was conferred the Venu Menon National Animal Award for Leadership in Conservation in the year 2006, for his key role in conservation of rare birds.{{citation needed|date=October 2022}}

Handique's debates, speeches & interventions as a Parliamentarian during the last 35 years (including one term in Rajya Sabha) have been recorded in three unedited volumes:{{Cite web|url=https://bkhandique.wordpress.com/|title=B.K. HANDIQUE|website=B.K. HANDIQUE|access-date=17 July 2020}}

• A Life in Parliament: Volume 1 (Rajya Sabha 1980-1986)
• A Life in Parliament: Volume II (Lok Sabha 1991-2004)
• A Life in Parliament: Volume III (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha 2004-2014)

{{reflist}}

• {{commons category-inline}}
• {{official website|URL=http://164.100.24.208/ls/lsmember/homepage.asp?mpsno=149|Home Page on the Parliament of India's Website}}
• {{official website|URL=http://bkhandique.wordpress.com/|Handique's blog}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-off}}

{{s-break}}

{{s-vac|unknown}}

{{s-ttl

| title = Minister of Mines

| years = May 2009 – 18 January 2011}}

{{s-aft|after=Dinsha Patel}}

{{s-bef | before = Mani Shankar Aiyar}}

{{s-ttl

| title = Minister of Development of North Eastern Region

| years = May 2009 – July 2011}}

{{s-aft|after=Paban Singh Ghatowar}}

{{s-break}}

{{s-vac|unknown}}

{{s-ttl

| title = Minister of State, Chemicals and Fertilizers

| years = 2004–2009}}

{{s-aft|after=Srikant Jena}}

{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Handique, Bijoy}}

Category:1934 births

Category:2015 deaths

Category:India MPs 1991–1996

Category:India MPs 1996–1997

Category:India MPs 1998–1999

Category:India MPs 1999–2004

Category:India MPs 2004–2009

Category:India MPs 2009–2014

Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Assam

Category:Lok Sabha members from Assam

Category:Assam MLAs 1972–1978

Category:Members of the Cabinet of India

Category:Mining ministers of India

Category:People from Jorhat district

Category:University of Calcutta alumni

Category:United Progressive Alliance candidates in the 2014 Indian general election

Category:Occasional poets