• Latest Why has Dalali become a career option for ‘retired Rajbongshi leaders’?
• Dr Abhijit Ray - Nov 12, 2025

I clicked this photo while attending the public gathering of the Koch-Rajbongshis on 9th November 2025, Bongaigaon. I found this view quite symbolic. The person in the picture is doing a great service to the public by offering water in the heat. His intention is pure- and we should appreciate that. However, is the arrangement appropriate? Does allowing people to litter in a public place with plastic cups not make him a ‘bad person’?

Sometimes our intentions are noble, but while executing them, we tend to ignore certain minor details that can ultimately lead to disaster. So, I just want to initiate a discussion by pointing out a few observations about ‘Rajbongshi leaders’- with good intentions- and I hope others will continue it and contribute to the conversation by identifying such oversights before they lead to a ‘littering disaster’.

1. It might sound harsh, but I felt that the ‘mass gathering’ was merely a ‘random gathering’. People were just expressing their frustration. But can such random expressions of frustration lead us towards any constructive achievement? What we truly need are continuous and meaningful community dialogues, discussions, and (then may be) gatherings. It should be a continuum, as community problems and aspirations have their nuances and cannot be addressed with ‘loud and simple’ solutions.

2. Without a strong presence of community life and meaningful community discussion and dialogue, only the populist leaders- basically a few loud individuals who can shout- end up becoming the leaders of the masses. They are essentially entertainers, serving as outlets for people’s frustration, while the potential leaders and intelligent individuals appear too ‘boring’ for the masses.

3. The ‘leaders’ whose entire ‘careers’ are built on ‘occasional agitation and movements’ suddenly become irrelevant the moment their agenda loses its urgency. The community’s frustration accumulates; people gather, create chaos for a while, nothing changes, and then everyone gives up- until the frustration builds up again, and the same cycle repeats. Amid these gatherings of frustration, a few individuals try to become ‘leaders’ but ultimately turn into political brokers (Dalaals) instead. That becomes their fate. They fail to understand that to be leaders in this country, they need financial, cultural, and social capital—and that these seasonal, random movements and agitations will never evolve into mass movement capable of providing power and the leadership that they wish for.

4. When we ask- why all of them eventually become ‘Dalaals’, we need to think of their psychological condition and challenges in the prevailing socio-political ecosystem. They are ‘no one’, but suddenly, for a while, they receive attention, affection, media presence and a strong rush of power- but then it fades away. Without a strong foundation, such agitations are bound to disappear after some time. People shout out of frustration, but when they see no immediate results, they simply move on and focus on their personal issues. However, the sudden rush of power and importance that these so-called ‘leaders’ experience is addictive. They struggle desperately to remain relevant, even joining those very groups or parties they once declared as enemies- just to get some occasional petty validation or a bit of financial support to survive.

5. It is not correct to say that they don’t ‘love’ their community or all of them are a bunch of scammers (…perhaps some of them are, but certainly not all). However, when their entire activism revolves around ‘seasonal agitations’ based on vague demands, people eventually become exhausted—and these so-called ‘leaders’ too begin to look for a ‘settlement’ or some form of financial security.

6. Their activism does not provide them with social capital or financial support. After a point, they become financially vulnerable. Communities like ours demand honesty and sacrifice from them but completely ignore their individual struggles, especially those caused by financial insecurity and related issues. It is an illogical, superficial, and ignorant expectation from the community. If they remain honest, the community mocks them, pretending to be wise: ‘By doing party-party, jati-jati all the time, he has ruined his life.’ But if they earn money by somehow using their limited political leverage, people brand them as morally corrupt: ‘the thug has sold out the community.’

We are still confined to the idea of ‘an extended family’ when we talk about community life. We can hardly imagine that a community and its organisations could function positively—to build social capital, achieve cultural capital, or generate economic capital. Community organisations are not meant merely to shout slogans on the streets.

Most ‘leaders,’ during the early phase of their activism, receive financial support to survive from their families and parents. But after a point, even the family withdraws that support, and they become so financially fragile that survival itself becomes a struggle. Eventually, they even begin to blame their own parties and feel resentment toward their communities. They are, in a way, like heartbroken lovers: ‘I did so much for you, but got nothing in return.’

Only then the leaders post on social media: ‘Now I am selfish…’

7. The problem is that we are promoting community ‘agitation’ without actually building a community. As a result, most community leaders become vulnerable after a certain point because there is no real community to support them. They keep running as long as emotion provides the fuel, but eventually reality hits. This is how the current social and political structures are ‘producing’ the very corrupt ‘Rajbongshi leaders’ we feel ashamed of.

These are a few observations from my side. The Lao-Ti Winds is all about sharing opinions and information freely, and fostering meaningful dialogue. This is just the beginning of a discussion, and I invite everyone to contribute and share their opinions on this topic. In the next part, I will share a few experiences that might offer a different perspective on this issue.

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