Guwahati: Assam will observe ‘Swahid Divas’ (Martyrs Day) in remembrance of the 860 brave young men who laid their lives to protect the land, its identity, culture and heritage from the aggression of Bangladeshi Muslims on December 9. Shahid Khargeswar Talukdar, the first martyr of Assam movement, who was brutally killed by Bangladeshi Muslims on this day in 1979 during the 6 years long ‘Asom Andolon’.
The BJP led Assam government has constructed a memorial in Guwahati which will be inaugurated on December 10. The state BJP said that the Assam Government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party remains unwaveringly committed to safeguarding the identity, land, and heritage of the people of Assam. On the eve of Martyrs’ Day, observed on December 10, the State BJP remembers the martyrs of the Assam Movement and solemnly reiterates this pledge. The BJP, which had placed before the people a clear set of promises before the elections, has fulfilled those commitments word for word after assuming office, thereby establishing a remarkable precedent in governance.
The Martyrs’ Memorial Project, constructed on nearly 116 bighas of land at an expenditure of Rs 100 crore, to be inaugurated tomorrow at Boragaon in the capital city by the Chief Minister,is its most recent illustration. Addressing a press conference party spokesperson Kishor Bhattacharya stated that the Assam Movement arose during a complex and tumultuous juncture in the political history of the State.
In the relentless march undertaken for the upliftment of the people of Assam, children of Maa Bharti and the graceful Asomi Aai, and in the sacred mission of protecting the dignity of the motherland and the nation, the sacrifice, courage, supreme self-offering, and unwavering patriotism of the martyrs of the Assam Movement shall forever remain an eternal ideal for generations to come. Their unparalleled dedication to the service of Mother Assam will continue to inspire every future generation with a stream of nationalism and devotion. The memorial constructed in honour of 860 martyrs,nearly 45 years after the martyrdom of the first martyr of the Assam Movement, Khargeswar Talukdar,will safeguard for eternity the heritage, self-respect, sacrifice, and valour of the Assamese people.
It will inspire future generations toward love for their nation and community and simultaneously stand as a lasting reminder of the brutal repression unleashed upon the youth of Assam by the then Congress Government. Recalling the tragic memories of that period, Bhattacharya said that not only were 860 young Assamese lives sacrificed during the movement, but thousands of young men, women, and ordinary citizens were left permanently crippled by the atrocities of the state machinery. Lakhs were subjected to physical and psychological torture. The same Congress that now lectures the nation on nationalism had perpetrated unspeakable oppression upon the Assamese community during the great people’s movement.
The people of Assam can never forget that history. What is even more shocking, he added, is that during the same period when a mass movement was underway demanding the deportation of foreigners and doubtful citizens, the Congress, acting secretly to safeguard its own political interests, actively facilitated the settlement of doubtful foreigners in various parts of the State. This fact has come to light in recent eviction drives undertaken by the current BJP Government in Assam. The Congress can never free itself from the stigma of betraying the indigenous people of Assam.
