Guwahati: Rich tributes were paid to the first chief minister (initially known as Prime Minister) of Assam, Bharat Ratna Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi on his 71st death anniversary at a programme organised at his samadhisthal in the city. Recently the State Cabinet decided to observe Bordoloi’s death anniversary as ‘Karmachari Divas’ in the State.
“Assam would be ever-grateful and indebted to Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi for saving its identity which was about to be lost in the exercise of grouping in 1947. It is the humble effort of the State government to honour the great son of the soil by observing Karmachari Divas on 5 August 5,” said State chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Synchronising with the occasion, the saffron leader also took part in an all-faith prayer session and remembered the rich contributions of the great freedom fighter as an architect of modern Assam. He also urged the people to emulate Bordoloi’s ideals and work for building an Assam of his dream.
It was because of Bordoloi and a few other freedom fighters that Assam was not made a part of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to remain an integral part of Bharat. Assam government has already decided to introduce a book on Lokapriya’s contributions to the people at the higher secondary level to be compulsorily read by the students.
As the celebration this year was marred with Covid-19 protocols, the government plans to observe the program in all districts and sub-divisions across Assam in a befitting manner from next year onward, where selected government employees (Karmachari) would be honoured for their contributions to the public service.
