It is along fifty years that Milan Jyoti Sangha has come into existence. In terms of years, it is as short a period as to evaluate what this humble organization has achieved. Since its establishment in 1965, Milan Jyoti Sangha has been able to carve out a name for itself in the vast area of sports, culture and other social and academic activities. It is, however, the goodwill and patronage of the people of Dibrugarh and more particularly of the people of Milan Nagar where it is situated, that has always been encouraging us during all these years.
In 1965, we started our activities from Dakhin Jalan Milan Prathamik Vidyalaya, a primary level school in the heart of Milan Nagar. Late Ganesh Ch. Sarmah (ex-president), Sir Prabhat Borkakoti, Sri Atul Borborah, Sri Haren Gogoi, Late Keshab Lal chaliha, Late Ambeswar Gour, Late Ratnadhar Gogoi, Late Phanidhar Hazarika, Late Sirajul Haque Hazarika, Late Purna Kanta das, Late Ramesh Mohan Kauli, Late Sarat Goswami, Late Sardar K. S. Shyan were householders at that time who were instrumental in forming a small organization with the young boys of the area with the primary objective of developing roads, schools and also to celebrate festivals like Saraswati puja, Magh Bihu, Sankrdevar tithi and above all to build a football team of its own. Sri Prabhat Borkakoti, a young man in his late eighties, is still with us as a monumental guiding force all these years.
Accordingly a meeting was convened at the thatched building of the school. Sri Amar Pandey and Sri Jiten Borbarah were elected president and general secretary respectively. Sri Prabhat Borkakoti, Sri Jiten Borbarah, Amiya Hazarika and Late Bipul Borborah were entrusted with the responsibility to draft the Constitution of Milan Jyoti Sangha. The name Milan Jyoti Sangha was proposed jointly by Sri Prodip Gogoi and Sri Bipin Gogoi. In this process a humble organization had come into existence with the blessing and goodwill of the people of Milan Nagar and its nearby areas, wherein the younger generation had found a place to fulfil its dreams and the elders of the society a place of respect for them.
In the initial stages, the activities were limited to the celebration of Saraswati puja and playing of carrom and football amongst the young members.Gradually, staging of one-act plays, variety shows, debating and extempore speech competitions was held on special occasions.
In 1968 we found a piece of land on the Mancutta road near Govt. Boys Higher Secondary School, owned by Jalan development trust, and we decided to shift.
Since then, this is the place where the permanent building of Milan Jyoti Sangha had taken shape in the late seventies. In 1975, during the emergency period our organization had to face unnecessary harassment in the matter of ownership of the land. Even our thatched house was demolished by the then district administration as the land question was shown as municipal property. We felt the action was illegal and we decided to fight back with the help of our well-wishers. We still gratefully acknowledge those who were with us during those difficult days. We also gratefully remember the help and sympathy shown to us in getting back the same plot of land to Late Hiteswar Saikia the then Home Minister of the State. However, we continued with our activities even those difficult days. In fact, this has given all of us the spirit to increase our activities with renewed vigour.
With a view to expand our activities during those early days, we took up some measures like repairing of road, electrification of streets, planting of trees, medical service to the needy people etc. under the social welfare scheme. At the same time games and sports have become a part of our routine activities and accordingly we took part in different competitions in and around Dibrugarh in games like football, carrom, badminton etc.
It is a long list of tournaments and competitions in various disciplines of games and sports that we have started since 1970. Notables among them are N. M. Garodia Gold Cup (1983), B. C. Baruah cricket for juniors, Mridul Sarmah memorial cricket for school, office league football, Surajit Pathak memorial inter-school volleyball, Jugal Konwar memorial football, S. C. Senchua memorial volleyball, Lila boti das memorial football (1972),Manik sarma and Satya Jyoti Sarma memorial table tennis competitions. Of these, Garodia gold cup football tournaments are recognized as one of the major football tournaments of the State.
Our football team, since 1972, has a good number of glorious records in its bag. Besides winning the local league championship several times our team participated in almost all the major football tournaments of the State as well as the neighbouring states of Nagaland, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Manipur. A large number of our young footballer have represented the State in the national championships and the spirit is still continuing. In cricket and table tennis also many players have represented the State. Coaching programmes under qualified coaches have made it possible for young players to attain such heights. We also successfully organized some cluster matches of the national junior football championship hosted by Tinsukia sports association under the Assam football association in 1987. The greatest achievement, we feel, is career building through sports. It is not us, but the players themselves who have been able to earn their livelihood with cheer dedication and hard work. Most of our players got appointments in state and central govt. services for their showing in the field of games and sports.
In our early years, we organized cultural shows to encourage the local talents, plays, both one-act and full length, were staged by our drama team in various places of upper Assam. We organized cultural programmes with Dr Bhupen Hazarika (1982 and 1984), “Nitin-Usha –Bhupen nite”, “Silver jubilee nite” (1992), and several other musical evenings to create a positive atmosphere for the music lovers of Dibrugarh.
Dibrugarh Book Fair is a unique occasion for which we are always proud of. This exhibition of books and letters pioneered by us un 1994, has given a new dimension to the academic world of this region. We gratefully acknowledge the guidance and help extended to us by Dr Nagen Saikia, ex-president of Asom Sahitya Sabha, and a renowned litterateur in the country, Sri Bhuban Borooah, an economist par excellence, Padmashree Surjya Hazarika and Sri Pabitra Lahkar. Milan Jyoti Sangha will always remember Late Nagendra Nath Das, Dr Upendra Nath Bora, Sri Prabhat Borkakoti, Sri Khireswar and all other members for their courage, hard work and dedication in organizing the Book Fair since 1994. We hope to continue this process.
We always feel, as an organization for youths and elders, this humble organization has many more miles to go in this hi-tech age. Technology and professionalism are taking fast speed in this twenty-first century. To keep pace with this modern age we also need new ideas and programmes in our sporting, cultural, social welfare and other developmental schemes. This is possible only if our patrons and wellwishers come forward and extend their helping hands, toward fulfilment of such ideas and schemes.
We also feel the achievements of this humble institution can be gauged only in terms of our activities towards the welfare and development of qualities amongst youths and to society as a whole. In this context people are the best judge.
We want to remain in the heart of the people. We want to be guided by society. A peaceful modern world under which our youth community will go forward with hard work, strong will force, honesty and dedication. We believe in universal brotherhood and unity.
With these expectations, we are entering into the GOLDEN JUBILEE year in 2015.
“Breathe deep into your strength
To plan for tomorrow.
Then, leave tomorrow
To take care of itself,
And celebrate being alive today.”
To provide a common place for meeting of the members of the “Sangha” for the purpose of recreation, discussion on common problems, encouragement of thrift, advancement of social welfare, mutual assistance without any distinction as to community caste, race, sex, language and religion.
To work for the upliftment of physical, mental and cultural activity of the youth community and to inculcate in them the spirit of unity and brotherhood.
To work for the Development of roads, schools of the area and other children welfare organisations of Dibrugarh.
To work for the development of games and sports and other socio-cultural activities. It will also organise competition/tournament in games and sports celebrate festivals and also cultural and academic activities from time to time. It will also take part in competitions/tournaments on games Y sports and culture in different places of the State and the Country as well.
To create and maintain a fund for the purpose by means of subscription, donation and by organising Charity Shows to raise funds under the banner of the Sangha.
The Sangha shall be a non-political organisation and no political activities shall be allowed within the premises of the Sangha in any case.
