Making efforts to showcase state’s rich history on global stage: Assam CM

Guwahati, Sep 21 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that the state government is making all efforts to showcase Assam’s glorious history on the global stage. 

Inaugurating the convention Centre at the Martyr’s Memorial Park in Dhekiajuli and unveiling the statues of the martyrs of Dhekiajuli, the Chief Minister said that UNESCO’s recognition of Charaideo Maidam as a World Heritage site symbolises the state government’s steadfast commitment to safeguarding and advancing Assam’s heritage and identity on the world platform.

He reiterated that Dhekiajuli (in Sonitpur district), with its wealth of mythological and historical significance, remains a testament to the historical evolution and journey of Assam.

Noting that in the freedom movement of the nation, Dhekiajuli had an indelible contribution, the Chief Minister said that the sequel of incidents where the freedom fighters from Dhekiajuli took part in their bid to root out the foreign powers from the land and the consequent high handedness of the British Administration in India perpetrated on them were not highlighted as much as they should have been.

The Assam government had allocated approximately Rs 11.94 crores in the 2020-21 budget for the construction of the Martyr’s Memorial Park and Convention Centre at Dhekiajuli, to preserve the memory of the martyrs whose sacrifices have become immortal.

The project, initiated on October 12, 2020, is now open to the public, providing a space where future generations could draw inspiration from the heroism and patriotism of the past.

Sarma highlighted the undivided Darrang District's significant role in India's freedom movement.

He underscored that the acts of bravery exhibited by the people of Darrang during key movements such as the Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil Disobedience Movement, and the Quit India Movement of 1942 remain a shining example of nationalism and sacrifice.

The Chief Minister offered deep reverence for the martyrs, vowing that their contributions will be forever remembered.

He highlighted the present government’s ongoing efforts to rediscover and honour Assam’s rich historical legacy.

He pointed to initiatives such as the renaming of roads in Dhekiajuli in honour of the martyrs, the establishment of the Convention Centre at the Martyr’s Memorial Park, as well as the unveiling of the statues of the martyrs of Dhekiajuli, as part of a broader vision to bring to light the hidden history of the region.

He referred to key projects like the celebration of Lachit Borphukan’s 400th birth anniversary, the proposed Swahid Kanaklata Barua State University in Gohpur, installation of Lachit Borphukan’s statue in Jorhat, and the proposed revamping of the Jorhat Central Jail into a Freedom Movement Park, as significant milestones in promoting Assam’s historical relevance on the global stage.

During the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) held in New Delhi in July, the ‘Charaideo Maidam’, a 700-year-old mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty in eastern Assam, has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list under the 'cultural property' category.