Rameswar Dhanowar
{{short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Rameswar Dhanowar
| predecessor3 = Chandra Bahadur Chetri
| alma_mater = Gauhati University
| children = 5
| party = Indian National Congress
| spouse = {{marriage|Rani Dhanowar|27 April 1967}}
| parents = Jethua Dhanowar (Father)
Umee Dhanowar (Mother)
| death_date = {{death date and age|2017|07|10|1939|07|14|df=yes}}
| birth_date = 14 July 1939
| 1namedata2 = Hiteswar Saikia
| 1blankname2 = Chief Minister
| successor3 = Suren Phukan
| termend2 = 23 December 1985
| office = Minister for Excise, Labour and Employment
| termstart2 = 28 February 1983
| office3 = Member of Assam Legislative Assembly
| 1namedata = Tarun Gogoi
| 1blankname = Chief Minister
| termend3 = 19 May 2016
| termstart3 = 21 March 1978
| constituency3 = Digboi
| office2 = Minister of Labour and Employment
| termend = 2005
| termstart = 18 May 2001
| birth_place = Dobba Tiniali, Sibsagar
}}
Rameswar Dhanowar (14 July 1939 – 10 July 2017) was an Indian politician from the state of Assam. He was a Member of the Assam Legislative Assembly from the Indian National Congress party for Digboi. He was a minister in Hiteswar Saikia and Tarun Gogoi’s cabinet.{{Cite web|title=Veteran Congress leaders die|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/north-east/veteran-congress-leaders-die/cid/1435295|access-date=2021-08-16|website=www.telegraphindia.com}}
Early life and education
Rameswar Dhanowar was born on 14 July 1939 to Jethua Dhanowar and Umee Dhanowar in Sibsagar. He received a B.A. from Guwahati University in 1964.{{Cite web|title=Who's Who|url=http://assamassembly.gov.in/rameswar-dhanowar-2011.html|access-date=2021-08-16|website=assamassembly.gov.in}}
Political career
Dhanowar was the Indian National Congress candidate for the constituency of Digboi in the 1978 Assam Legislative Assembly Election. He obtained 10312 votes, 32.66% of the total vote. He defeated his nearest opponent by 67 votes. Dhanowar sought reelection in the 1983 Assam Legislative Assembly election. He received 6530 votes, 72.23% of the total vote and he defeated his nearest opponent by 4643 votes. He was made minister of Labour and Employment in the Hiteswar Saikia Cabinet. In the 1985 Assam Legislative Assembly election, Dhanowar sought reelection in Digboi. He received 27438 votes, 58.54% of the total vote. He defeated his nearest opponent by 15108 votes. In the 1991 Assam Legislative Assembly election, he sought reelection. He received 33799 votes, 63.75% of the total vote. He defeated his nearest opponent by 22745 votes. In the 1996 Assam Legislative Assembly election he was reelected by a margin of 26969 votes. In 2001 he was reelected again by a margin of 17654 votes. He was made minister for Excise, Labour and Employment in the first Tarun Gogoi cabinet.
In the 2006 Assam Legislative Assembly election, Dhanowar received 35773 votes, defeating his nearest opponent by 12735 votes and was reelected. In the 2011 Assam Legislative Assembly election. He received 38663 votes, 50.04% of the total vote. He defeated his nearest opponent by 10758 votes and was reelected. He did not seek reelection in 2016, after being MLA for 38 years. His son was the Congress candidate but lost.{{Cite web|title=Assam Assembly elections: Ex-minister Rameswar Dhanowar's son, Congress leader Gautam Dhanowar quits party|date=12 March 2021 |url=https://nenow.in/north-east-news/assam/assam-assembly-elections-ex-minister-rameswar-dhanowars-son-congress-leader-gautam-dhanowar-quits-party.html|access-date=2021-08-16|language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Digboi Assembly Constituency Election Result - Legislative Assembly Constituency |url=https://resultuniversity.com/election/digboi-assam-assembly-constituency#1978 |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=resultuniversity.com}}
Personal life
He married Rani Dhanowar on 27 April 1967 and they had three sons and two daughters. His son, Gautam Dhanowar, was the Indian National Congress candidate for Digboi in 2016 but lost. His son resigned from the Indian National Congress after being denied the 2021 ticket for Digboi and he later joined BJP.{{Cite news |title=Several opposition leaders join BJP in Assam |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/several-opposition-leaders-join-bjp-in-assam/articleshow/87085736.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2022-04-07}} Another of his sons, Manoj, contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections for Dibrugarh but lost and contested the 2021 Assam Legislative Assembly election for Lahowal but again lost.{{Cite web |last=Move |first=Team News |date=2021-03-12 |title=At least 12 of 71 Congress candidates in the 1st and 2nd phase have dynastic roots |url=https://newsmove.in/at-least-12-of-71-congress-candidates-in-the-1st-and-2nd-phase-have-dynastic-roots/ |access-date=2021-08-19 |website=News Move |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |title=🗳️ Manoj Dhanowar, Lahowal Assembly Elections 2021 LIVE Results {{!}} Election Dates, Exit Polls, Leading Candidates & Parties {{!}} Latest News, Articles & Statistics {{!}} LatestLY.com |url=https://www.latestly.com/elections/assembly-elections/assam/2021/lahowal/manoj-dhanowar/ |access-date=2021-08-19 |website=LatestLY |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Desk |first=Sentinel Digital |date=2021-03-22 |title=Manoj Dhanowar from Lahowal: Early Life, Controversy & Political Career - Sentinelassam |url=https://www.sentinelassam.com/assam-election-2021/candidates/phase1/manoj-dhanowar-from-lahowal-early-life-controversy-political-career-529929 |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=www.sentinelassam.com |language=en}} Manoj Dhanowar later resigned from the Indian National Congress.{{Cite web |last=News |first=Ne Now |date=2022-04-02 |title=Assam: Congress leader Manoj Dhanowar resigns from party |url=http://nenow.in/north-east-news/assam/assam-congress-leader-manoj-dhanowar-resigns-from-party.html |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=NORTHEAST NOW |language=en-US}}
Death
On 10 July 2021, Dhanowar died at the age of 77 after a prolonged illness.{{Cite web|last=Desk|first=Sentinel Digital|date=2017-07-11|title=Tea tribe leader Rameswar Dhanowar passes away - Sentinelassam|url=https://www.sentinelassam.com/news/tea-tribe-leader-rameswar-dhanowar-passes-away/|access-date=2021-08-16|website=www.sentinelassam.com|language=en}}
Positions held
{{Div col|content=*1978: Member, Assam Legislative Assembly
- 1983: Member, Assam Legislative Assembly
- 1983: Cabinet Minister, Government of Assam
- 1985: Member, Assam Legislative Assembly
- 1991: Member, Assam Legislative Assembly
- 1996: Member, Assam Legislative Assembly
- 2001: Member, Assam Legislative Assembly
- 2001: Cabinet Minister, Government of Assam
- 2006: Member, Assam Legislative Assembly
- 2011: Member, Assam Legislative Assembly}}