Tag: Assam

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Rahul Gandhi meets flood victims in Assam

According to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) officials, over 24.20 lakh people in 30 districts had been affected till Friday…reports Asian Lite News

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi visited Assam’s flood-affected Cachar district on Monday before heading to violence-stricken Manipur later in the day. Upon arrival in Silchar, he was welcomed by Congress leaders from Assam and Manipur at the airport.

Gandhi then travelled to Fulertal to meet with flood-affected residents staying in relief camps. This marks his first visit to the Northeast since becoming the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The relief camp is situated along the route Gandhi will take to Manipur’s Jiribam district.

Assam is currently grappling with severe floods caused by days of heavy rainfall, leading to landslides and river overflows. Approximately 2.27 million people across 28 districts have been impacted by the flooding.

After his visit to Jiribam, Gandhi will return to Silchar airport and then fly to Imphal for the next part of his Manipur tour. Manipur has experienced ongoing ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities since May 3 of last year, resulting in over 200 deaths.

Meanwhile, there was marginal improvement in the overall flood situation in Assam, but the situation remained critical as eight more people died in six districts on Sunday while around 23 lakh people have been affected in 28 of the state’s 35 districts, officials said.

According to Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) officials, over 24.20 lakh people in 30 districts had been affected till Friday.

ASDMA officials said that two people each drowned in Dhubri and Nalbari districts while one each died in Goalpara, Cachar, Dhemaji, and Sivasagar districts.

With Sunday’s deaths, the toll has climbed to 66 with many people dying due to landslides and other calamities in different districts since the monsoon began early last month.

ASDMA officials said that the flood water also inundated over 68,432 hectares of crop area in 3,446 villages under 28 districts while over 15.63 lakh domestic animals have also been badly affected by the monsoon.

Out of the 28 flood-affected districts, Dhubri, Morigaon, Cachar, Darrang, Dibrugarh, and Barpeta are the worst-hit.

The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger level at Neamatighat, Tezpur, and Dhubri, while Burhidihing, Dikhou, Disang, Dhansiri, Kopili, Beki, Sankosh and Kushiyara rivers are near the danger level in many places.

ASDMA officials also said that the district administrations have set up 630 relief camps to provide shelter to over 53,689 people, while 361 more relief distribution centres are functioning in different districts.

Several teams of the National and State Disaster Response Forces accompanied by volunteers of various NGOs have also been deployed for the rescue and relief operations.

Like in previous years, a vast area of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) has been submerged and park authorities have intensified efforts to rescue the animals and to prevent poaching.

KNPTR Director Sonali Ghosh said that so far, 96 wild animals have been rescued while 129 animals, including deer, rhino, and hog deer, have drowned in flood waters.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is regularly reviewing the flood situation in the state, visited the Kamrup district on Sunday and met affected people and local officials. Later, Sarma told the media that the government’s focus is to find a national solution to the Assam flood unlike those who only want to declare it a national problem.

“In 2004 there were 400 embankment breaches while today we have only four such breaches. We are working on a permanent solution. Government working to find a long-term solution to flood in Assam,” he said.

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Over 16 lakh people hit by floods in Assam

According to ASDMA officials, the flood also inundated over 39,451 hectares of crop areas in 2,800 villages….reports Asian Lite News

The flood situation in the northeastern state of Assam has further deteriorated as eight fresh deaths were reported, taking the toll to 46, an official said on Wednesday, adding over 15 lakh people have been affected so far.

An Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) official said that on Wednesday, two persons died in Sonitpur district and one each died in Dibrugarh, Darrang, Golaghat, Biswanath, Tinsukia and Morigaon districts.

According to ASDMA officials, the flood also inundated over 39,451 hectares of crop areas in 2,800 villages.

Over 11.20 lakh domestic animals were also badly affected in the current flood.

The Brahmaputra, Barak, and all their tributaries are flowing above the danger level in many places. The flood damaged 74 roads, 14 embankments, and 6 bridges.

The state government has opened 515 relief camps where around 26,000 people took shelter, while 359 more relief distribution centres are also functioning in different districts.

Many national and state disaster response forces teams have also been deployed for rescue and relief operations.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reviewed the flood scenario in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve on Tuesday.

The park authorities issued traffic diversions to ensure the safety of animals. The movement of heavy commercial vehicles through the park has been restricted.

Sarma also visited the flood-affected Golaghat district.

He said that several battalions of NDRF and SDRF were working to deal with the situation.

“We have taken help from the Indian Air force wherever required. We have decided to carry out a damage assessment and provide relief to the flood affected people by August 15,” the Chief Minister said.

He said: “To carry out this exercise, ministers will fan out in different districts and camp for three days. I will go to Barak Valley for a couple of days. In September-October, we will be able to allocate funds for the damaged infrastructure and get the same repaired by March next year.”

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Assam tea garden workers are deciding factor in LS polls

There are more than 70 lakh tea tribe community people across the state, including around 10 lakh workers in the organized sector working in 856 tea estates…reports Asian Lite News

As Assam gears up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections unfolding in three phases, the focus intensifies on the tea garden workers, a significant voter base poised to influence the outcomes in at least three of the five constituencies contesting in the first phase.

There are more than 70 lakh tea tribe community people across the state, including around 10 lakh workers in the organized sector working in 856 tea estates. Assam produces around 55 per cent of India’s tea.

This demographic, integral to the state’s identity and economy, could be pivotal in shaping the electoral battle in Dibrugarh, Kaziranga, and Sonitpur, with Jorhat also seeing a substantial number of tea tribe voters.

Amid this electoral fervour, political parties, notably the BJP and Congress, are actively courting the support of the tea tribe community, a move that underscores the community’s potential to sway the electoral results in these regions.

The people of the tea tribe community have been facing lots of problems since independence.

Bhaskar Kalindi, a former leader of the Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATTSA), said that there are around 55 lakh tea tribe community voters across the state, and most of the tea tribe community voters are in Dibrugarh, Kaziranga, Jorhat, Sonitpur Lok Sabha seats.”

“The current BJP government in Assam has increased the daily wage of tea garden labourers to Rs 251, and we request the government to increase it more. I am a tea tribe community youth. Earlier, the road connectivity in the tea garden areas was very poor. Now the road connectivity has improved, and the state’s current government has established schools and Anganwadi centres in the tea garden areas. During the Congress regime, there was nothing. This government has also declared a holiday on our festival Karam Puja Day,” Kalindi told ANI.

He further said that tea garden voters will become a major factor in this election in at least three parliamentary constituencies in the state.

“Earlier, the tea garden labourers had received their wage in cash, but the current government has opened bank accounts against each worker. Earlier, the workers did not have any bank accounts. The people of the tea garden areas are now very happy with the work done by the current government,” Kalindi said further.

He also said that the Assam government has also made reservations for tea garden people in government jobs. “If the government will give ST status to the tea tribe community, then we will be more happy,” Bhaskar Kalindi said.

Ashar Orang, a tea tribe community voter, said that Congress had ruled for 70 years, and there was no development of the tea tribe community people. “But the BJP-led government is gradually working for the development of this community people. People are now getting benefits. The current government is also focusing on development in the education sector in the tea garden areas,” Orang said while speaking to ANI.

Talking about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ashar Orang said that not only the tea tribe community but the Prime Minister is also working for the development of all sections of people.

On the other hand, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) president Atul Bora, who is also the local MLA of Bokakhat assembly constituency under the Kaziranga Lok Sabha seat, told ANI that the tea garden community people were the vote bank of Congress, and they didn’t do anything for the development of these people.

“There are still many issues, but our government under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has resolved many problems of the tea garden people. Now the tea garden people are very happy with the work done by this government,” Atul Bora said.

“My constituency is a tea garden workers-dominated constituency. In today’s meeting, thousands of tea garden people arrived to see the Chief Minister. The NDA candidate for the Kaziranga parliamentary constituency is also a tea garden community person,” he added.

Assam Congress leader, Rituparna Konwar, claimed that a lot of work had been done during the Congress government’s tenure in the state and that the current BJP government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, had “failed to increase tea garden workers’ daily wages.”

“During our regime, we did a lot of development works for tea tribe community people. Our government did socio-economic upliftment of the tea tribe community. Congress never used the tea tribe community as a vote bank. We increased their political representation,” Rituparna Konwar told ANI.

“In this election, Congress has given the party tickets to two candidates who belong to the tea tribe community, but BJP has fielded only one,” he said.

“The BJP-led government sold state-owned tea gardens in Assam to private companies and the government has failed to increase the daily wage of the tea garden workers,” he alleged.

In this Lok Sabha election in Assam, the BJP is contesting in 11 out of 14 seats, while its ally parties, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), are contesting in two seats (Barpeta and Dhubri), and UPPL in one seat (Kokrajhar), respectively.

Elections for the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam will take place in three phases on April 19, April 26, and May 7.

In the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 7 of the 14 seats in Assam. Both the Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) claimed three seats each.

During the 2019 elections, the BJP increased its seat count to 9, while the Congress maintained its three seats, and the AIUDF won a single seat. (ANI)

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India News Legal Politics

Assam’s Ethnic Groups Stage Anti-CAA Protest Ahead of Modi Visit

All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and 30 other ethnic organizations hit the streets of Assam to protest against CAA….reports Asian Lite News

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Assam, All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and 30 other ethnic organizations on Thursday hit the streets of Assam to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The members of AASU earlier in the day took out a bike rally in Guwahati to protest against CAA. The protesters raised slogans against the CAA and demanded the centre to scrap it.

The CAA, introduced by the Narendra Modi government, aims to confer Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians, who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014.

Following the passage of the CAA by Parliament in December 2019 and its subsequent presidential assent, significant protests erupted in various parts of the country.

Samujjal Bhattacharya, Chief Advisor of AASU said that All Assam Students’ Union and 30 other ethnic organizations have decided to launch a movement against the CAA and the conspiracy by the Government of India to impose rules under the act.

“Today, the bike rally was held throughout the state in all district headquarters. There will be a series of movements against the CAA in the state. We would like to warn the central government that, the people of Assam and North East won’t accept the CAA because Assam and North East are not the dumping ground of illegal Bangladeshis,” Samujjal Bhattacharya said.

“After the historic Assam Movement Assam Accord was signed, the foreigners’ problem must be solved by implementing all clauses of the Assam Accord. It will be a peaceful, non-violent movement and along with this the legal fight is on,” he said.

PM Modi is set to embark on a two-day visit to Assam commencing on Friday where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various development projects.

PM Modi will arrive in Kaziranga on Friday evening, and he will stay overnight in the national park, a UNESCO Heritage Site renowned for its one-horned rhinos.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, while addressing a press conference on Thursday said that the PM will arrive in the state on Friday evening and is scheduled to spend at least two hours in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.

“On Friday, at 4 pm PM Modi will arrive at Tezpur airport and will directly go to Kaziranga. On March 9, at around 5:30 am, he will visit Kaziranga National Park and will spend 2 hours. He will go to Arunachal Pradesh from Kaziranga. After attending two programs in Arunachal Pradesh he will again visit Jorhat at around 1:30 pm…” the Assam CM said.

PM Modi will inaugurate the Tinsukia Medical College and lay the foundation stone of Sivasagar Medical College under the PM-DIVINE scheme on Saturday.

“PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for the expansion of Digboi Refinery from 0.65 Million MT to 1 Million MT with a cost of Rs 768 crores. PM Modi will also lay the foundation stone of the expansion of Guwahati Refinery from 1 million MT to 1.2 million MT with a cost of Rs 510 crore. PM Modi will inaugurate the project with a cost of Rs 3,992 crores project of pipeline from Barauni to Guwahati…” Assam CM added.

PM Modi will also address a rally at Meleng Meteli and inaugurate several projects of both centre and state governments.

In addition, PM Modi would perform the ‘Griha Pravesh’ (house-warming) ceremony for the 5.5 lakh houses built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), lay the foundation stone of Sivasagar Medical College, and address a public gathering at Meleng Meteli Pothar in Jorhat.

On March 9, he will take a Jeep Safari or elephant ride inside the national park.

In view of PM Modi’s visit to Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam, the jeep safari and elephant ride will remain closed in the Kaziranga range of Kohora from March 7 to 9. (ANI)

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Environment Environment and WIldlife India News

Assam’s ‘Elephant Girl’ Gets Padma Shri

Parbati Baruah spent 40 years addressing and reducing human-elephant conflicts and fought against gender stereotypes in this profession….reports Asian Lite News

Parbati Baruah, aged 67, affectionately dubbed the ‘Elephant Girl’ (Hasti Kanya) in Assam, has been honoured with the Padma Shri. She holds the distinction of being India’s pioneer female mahout, or elephant keeper.

Baruah got the award in recognition of her work in animal conservation and dispelling preconceptions to make a name for women in a field that has historically been dominated by men.

Born into the Gauripur royal family in the Goalpara district of Assam, Barua and her father Prakritish Barua caught their first elephant together when Barua was 14 years old in the Kachugaon woods of Kokrajhar district.

She spent 40 years addressing and reducing human-elephant conflicts and fought against gender stereotypes in this profession. Human-elephant confrontations have a long history in Assam, and Baruah was instrumental in developing government regulations to keep them under control.

She developed into a master at taming wild elephants. Her expertise on the behavior of elephants made her well-known not just in Assam but also in nearby states — West Bengal and Odisha.

Baruah also assisted the forest authorities in driving the troublemakers back into the forests from agricultural fields.

‘Queen of the Elephants’ is the title of a book written about her by British travel writer and naturalist Mark Roland Shand, published in 1996. Later, the BBC produced a documentary that was widely praised.

Following at least 40 years of continuous service as a mahout, Parbati committed her life to animal conservation, and she is presently a part of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Asian Elephant Specialist Group (IUCN).

This is her family’s second Padma honor. The central government earlier also awarded the renowned folk singer Pratima Pandey Barua, her sister, a Padma Shri.

Pramathesh Barua, an award-winning filmmaker, is also related to this family.

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7 Bangladeshi Nationals Deported Through Assam Border

The persons identified as Sahida Begum, Abdul Wadud Mandal, Babul Sardar, Sarmin Begum, her three minor sons Ismail Sheikh, Shakil Sheikh and Shakib Sheikh…reports Asian Lite News

At least seven Bangladeshi nationals, including three minors and two women, were deported back to their country through the India-Bangladesh international border at Assam’s Karimganj district, officials said.

All of them entered India from a location close to Agartala in Tripura, according to officials with the Border Security Force (BSF), and they were detained in Assam while on the way to Delhi.

“One of them was arrested a few years ago in the Sivasagar district, while six others were nabbed in Karimganj. Following the arrests, the court ordered their transfer to Goalpara’s Matia Transit Camp,” an official said on Tuesday.

The persons identified as Sahida Begum, Abdul Wadud Mandal, Babul Sardar, Sarmin Begum, her three minor sons Ismail Sheikh, Shakil Sheikh and Shakib Sheikh.

According to the official record, Sahida lives in the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh, while the others hail from the Khulna district in the neighbouring country.

According to BSF authorities, they were deported on Monday through the Karimganj border after Bangladesh acknowledged them as citizens and consented to accept them.

On Monday morning, they were transferred from the Matia transit camp to Karimganj, where they were deported from the vicinity of Zero Point by pillar number 1360 at Sutarkandi-Beanibazar.

During the deportation, an Assam Police squad was also present from the Indian side in addition to the BSF officers.

To receive their nationals, a team from Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Officer-in-Charge of Beanibazar Police Station, Shimul Roy, travelled from Bangladesh.

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Showcasing Assam’s Pride

This proves that language , border was never a barrier when expressed through Art and Culture and mainly through music and dance forms…reports Asian Lite News

Luitporia Nasoni group led by Mrs Chinu Kishore along  with Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar Awardee Dipjyoti Das and Dipankar Arandhara from Assam has showcased mesmerising performances which were based on Vaishnavism of East .

Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankaradeva (1449-1568) saint-scholar, playwright, social-religious reformer, is a colossal figure in the cultural and religious history of Assam.

The stories depicted through the dances captivated the audience . The energetic Dasavatar Dance was the highlight of the show , the audiences were clapping through the each incarnation Dipjyoti and Dipankar were dancing . This proves that language , border was never a barrier when expressed through Art and Culture and mainly through music and dance forms. 

The hard works Chinu , Debarchana , Porinita, Pallavi and Junmoni have put through reflected through out their performances. Considering all the ladies are either full time employee or full time mother of young children , this is an achievement of the whole Luitporia Nasoni Team.

The community leaders from each community have supported and attended the programme . Chinu Kishore who is a full time associate director on a rail infrastructure project and passionate about promoting Assam and its culture in UK financially sponsored the whole programme  anticipating she is going to able to achieve her dream making Assam and it’s culture part of every part of community in UK.

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G20 delegates mesmerised by Assam’s diverse culture

G20 Delegates mesmerized by the unparalleled showcase of Assam's diverse culture and hospitality(ianslife)

The G20 delegates also witnessed a performance of the centuries-old traditional dance “Sattriya”, which was developed by the vaishnavite saint and social reformer Srimanta Shankardev in the 15th century…reports Asian Lite News

Recently, a group of over 100 international leaders and delegates from 20 different nations who were in India for the G20 summit travelled to Assam and crossed the great Brahmaputra river to take in the state’s rich history and colourful culture. An evening filled with culture and tradition was perfectly hosted by the Assam Tourism Department.

The delegates were transported to Sandbar Island in a gorgeously adorned boat, where they were given a warm greeting by 700 island residents performing the traditional Gayan-Bayan, Bihu dance, Siphung, and other folk dances. At the ethnic village, which was expressly created to showcase the ethnic diversity of the state, they also had the opportunity to experience the vibrant tribes of Assam firsthand.

The ethnic hamlet offered a view of the several Assamese tribes, including the Mishing, Bodo, Dimasa, Karbi, Rabha, and Hajong, along with six different folk-dance performances and the local drums (Doba, Mridanga, Xonkho, and Bhortal). The G20 delegates also witnessed a performance of the centuries-old traditional dance “Sattriya”, which was developed by the vaishnavite saint and social reformer Srimanta Shankardev in the 15th century.

“Cultural diplomacy is a unique way to pursue economic benefits into the state and boost tourism. We are hopeful that the G20 delegates visit in Guwahati was unique and our efforts to enthrall the delegates with the rich and vibrant performances besides presenting the culinary traditions of the state get them connected with the roots and regional flavour of Awesome Assam,” said Kumar Padmapani Bora (IRS), Managing Director, Assam Tourism Development Cooperation.

The delegates truly experienced Awesome Assam in their 3 day meet in Guwahati.  

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Guwahati gears up to host Youth20 meet

Y20

Youth20 is one of the eight official engagement groups under the G20 umbrella, reports Asian Lite News

Assam is gearing up for the first Youth20 (Y20) meeting as progammes under India’s G20 presidency are gaining momentum. On the sidelines of the G20 summit, the first meeting of Youth20 (Y20) will be held in Guwahati from February 6-8, in a run-up to the final Youth-20 Summit in August this year.

“As India is hosting the Youth20 (Y20) summit for the first time on the sidelines of the G20 summit, the first meeting of the Y20 Group shall be held in Guwahati from 6th to 8th February 2023,” the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports said.

This is the first of the various meetings to be held on the five Y20 themes across India in a run-up to the final Youth-20 Summit in August 2023. More than 250 delegates from across the world are expected to participate in the 3-day event in Assam.

It will focus on five themes of Future of Work; Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction; Peace Building and Reconciliation; Youth in Democracy and Health, Wellbeing and Sports.

Youth20 is one of the eight official engagement groups under the G20 umbrella. The G20 rotating presidency bears the responsibility of hosting the youth summit, which usually takes place some weeks prior to the traditional forum to know what the youths are thinking and incorporate their suggestions in their own policy proposals. It is an attempt to create a connecting point between G20 governments and their local youth.

The Y20 India Summit in 2023 would exemplify India’s youth-centric efforts and provide an opportunity to showcase its values and policy measures to the youth across the globe, the Ministry stated.

In order to create a participative and inclusive deliberation process in the run-up to the Y20 meeting, over 50 Universities/Colleges across the 34 districts of Assam will be organizing seminars, workshops, debates and panel discussions in their campuses from 19th January onwards till the inception meeting.

Over 12,000 college/university students are expected to participate in these events. Each Higher Education Institution will also be organizing an awareness drive at 10 nearby schools to sensitize the schools about G-20 groupings and functioning.

400 participants including Prize winners of competitions from various participating University/College will participate in the central event at IIT-Guwahati on February 7, 2023, and will be accordingly mentored for understanding Innovations and Industry-Academia linkages. They will also get an opportunity to interact with the international youth delegates to exchange ideas for a shared future, the Ministry stated. (ANI)

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Tribute to Assam’s legendary hero

Assam commences Lachit Divas celebrations in Delhi to commemorate undying spirit of Ahom General Lachit Barphukan. This is the first time the legendary hero and his achievements are celebrated outside his home state to pay nationwide tribute to mark the leader’s 400 birth anniversary…reports Asian Lite News

Assam Chief Minister Mr Himanta Biswa Sharma and the chief guest Mr Kiren Rijiju, Federal Minister of Law & Justice, flagged off the Lachit Divas cultural celebrations in the national capital at Sunder Nursery.

This is the first time the legendary Ahom Army General Lachit Barphukan and his achievements are celebrated outside his home state to pay nationwide tribute to mark the leader’s 400 birth anniversary. 

Born on 24th November 1622 in Charaideo, he was known for his extraordinary military intelligence for defeating the Mughals, thereby halting the expanding ambitions of Aurangzeb in the Battle of Saraighat. The grand event is being marked on the sidelines of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations. 

The programme kickstarted with a traditional prayer of the Tai Ahom community followed by a Sattriya performance on Sita Uddhar by Mridusmita Das Bora and team, a medley of folk dances of Assam presentation by maestro Ranjit Gogoi and a drama depicting the illustrious life of Lachit Barphukan. Popular Assamese singer Papon set the stage on fire with his enchanting performance of Assam’s unique folk music. 

The celebrations of Lachit Divas will come to an end with a three-day finale from November 23 to 25 in New Delhi. Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi is expected to attend the last day’s events.

“This cultural evening will be based on patriotism, We will try to project the culture and civilisation of Assam,” said Mr Himanta Biswa Sharma. “This whole year we celebrated the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Barphukan in Assam. It was launched by former president Ram Nath Kovind in February this year. We have organised an exhibition and brought many valuable items from Guwahati museum, reflecting the glorious history of Assam right from the days of Kumar Bhaskar Varma. We also have many handwritten letters of Lachit Barphukan. Lachit Barphukan was a nationwide figure.

His tale of braveries should not be restricted in Assam,” Shri Kiren Rijiju underlined the spirit of India is incomplete whilst we take our unsung heroes along this journey of growth and development. Their ethos and principles ought to be recalled and respected.

“Lachit Barphukan is considered Assam’s cultural idol after defeating a large army of the Mughal Empire to protect Guwahati in the Saraighat Battle on the banks of the Brahmaputra River in 1671. He was a powerful leader and courageous paragon, who has been the pride and maintained the sovereignty of his homeland. His undying spirit for the country will continue to inspire generations. I feel proud to be a part of this event, which is about celebrating the spirit of Lachit Barphukan,” he added. 

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