He has a royal lineage. He also possesses a bike particularly gifted by former President and Missile Man of India Bharat Ratna APJ Abdul Kalam. And he moves around across Assam on this prized possession – his two-wheeler propagating the power and importance of knowledge.

He is Chandra Kamal Gogoi – the great-grandson of Assam pride and the bravest warriors that the Ahom’s had during their powerful regime in this part of the globe – Lachit Borphukan.

Gogoi’s two-wheeler, a Luna moped, a rarity in today’s Indian roads become the cynosure of all curious eyes wherever he goes.

Recently, he was in Sivasagar on his mission -  propagating the power and importance of knowledge and also being one of the invitees at the recently concluded book fair hosted at the historic Boarding Field as part of the 150th birth anniversary of Padmanath Gohainbaruah.

A down to earth Gogoi feels proud of his lineage of the brave general of the Ahom’s who fought valiantly against the Mughals in the famous battle of Saraighat, thus immortalizing Lachit Borphukan into a cult – a legend.

Gogoi recalled how after the battle of Saraighat, the family of Lachit Barphukan was rehabilitated at Pahumora on the banks of Ranganadi river in Lakhimpur by the Ahom rulers in the apprehension of backlash from foreign forces.

However, various internal threats that cropped up with the change in the political scenario at that time forced the descendants of the brave warrior to give up their Borphukan title and embrace Gogoi as their surname.

Chandra Kamal Gogoi, the great-grandson of Lachit Borphukan, today is a young at heart 75 years old and leads an eventful life moving around nook and corners of the State on his two-wheeler enlightening people through the power of knowledge.

Gogoi graduated from the famed Shanti Niketan in West Bengal way back in the 70s in fine arts. A fine artist himself through his inborn talent and the fine-tuning stint that he acquired from Shanti Niketan, Gogoi had a respectable reputation in his arena during his hay days.

He also had the unique distinction of designing postal stamps for the Department of Posts during his professional life.

Later he established a school of fine arts by the name and style of Kala Niketan in Lakhimpur.

Elaborating more on his Luna moped, Gogoi turned nostalgic as he went back some twenty years back.

It was during that time when Gogoi took a group of his students for an exposure trip to Shanti Niketan.

But to his utter dismay, Gogoi found out the premier institute of art and culture was shut down for the last two months owing to some issues between the management and the students, thus halting all creative pursuits.

The protesting students took to various designs in halting all kinds of academic activities in the institute.

Chandra Kamal Gogoi, an alumnus of the prestigious institute could not bear the fact that the precious days of creative pursuits were hampered because of the agitation.

With bravery and a fighting spirit inherent in his blood, Chandra Kamal Gogoi launched a crusade the other way round. He began a hunger strike on the campus itself demanding reopening of the institute and restoring the academic environment on the campus.

His agitation got the better of the students’ protests as the local media highlighted his cause in abundance. His hunger strike became national news that even caught the attention of former President Bharat Ratna APJ Abdul Kalam.

Kalam, a die-hard academician himself, personally intervened in the matter and persuaded the authorities to end the deadlock and restore academic activities in the premier institute.

The great soul in Kalam, however, did not forget the singular endeavour of Gogoi in the entire episode. As a token of admiration, the former President gifted Gogoi with a Luna moped which is still a prized possession that the great-grandson of Lachit Borphukan proudly flaunts.

Gogoi remembers the day when two persons arrived at his Lakhimpur residence towing the two-wheeler.

When Chandra Kamal Gogoi asked as to why they were towing the bike when they could have easily rode on it and come, two courier persons assigned for delivering the bike to Gogoi said as it was a gift from the President of India meant only for Gogoi, they did not dare to ride on it.

They even said that Gogoi has the exclusive right to ride on that coveted two-wheeler.

Since then, this Luna moped bearing registration no AS-07-H-5416 has become an inseparable part of Gogoi’s life who also had the unique distinction of taking part in the Republic Day parade as an NCC cadet during his study at Shanti Niketan.

Now, he tours across Assam on this moped spreading the importance of knowledge towards nation-building and evolving as a better human society.