Assam's young crusader: Akhil Gogoi

Guwahati: In a forgotten corner of Assam, RTI activist Akhil Gogoi begins his days work, meeting people and talking to them. Akhil and his Krishak Mukhti Sangram Samiti are the only way to fight for their rights and make the administration deliver.

At his office the heap of files are the more than 1000 RTI applications he filed over the last five years. He had single handedly brought focus on the construction of 168 dams across Arunachal Pradesh, a project which was seen as corrupt and cleared without analysing the repercussions in down stream states. Akhil's campaign had forced Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene, Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh to hold a public hearing and stay the project till it's studied properly.

"We have started people's movement which has shaken the state government," Akhil Gogoi told CNN-IBN.

Meet the man who\'s fighting for millions in the North-East on CNN-IBN\'s special series on Young Indian Leaders.

Akhil had also exposed how in the Golaghat district of Assam, Rs 60 lakh worth of government land was allotted to people, who didn't exist - an expose that would get him national recognition and also powerful enemies. The more he galvanised the people, the more the powerful and corrupt tried to thwart his work. The state even claimed he was a Maoist. But later went quiet after he was awarded the national RTI award in 2010.

"They blamed us for starting a parallel government and even branded us Maoists," Gogoi added.

But nothing can overpower the spirit of Akhil Gogoi and his fight for the people of Assam and North-East.

"We will continue this fight for the people of Assam till the very end," said Gogoi.

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)