Guwahati, Dec 21 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid homage to martyrs of the Assam Agitation, a movement against illegal immigrants, and affirmed his resolve to ensure the state’s progress, prosperity and cultural pride.
He offered a floral tribute to the 860 martyrs of the six-year-long violent movement at the memorial ‘Swahid Smarak Kshetra’ here, on the last day of his two-day visit to this northeastern state.
Modi paid respect in front of a lamp, which always remains lit in memory of the martyrs.
“Paid homage at the Swahid Smarak Kshetra and offered tributes at the Swahid Pranam Jyoti. Walking through the Swahid Gallery was a deeply moving experience, recalling the courage and sacrifices of the Bir Swahids martyred during the Assam Movement,” Modi posted on X.
The Prime Minister asserted that the sacrifices made during the movement are an integral part of the state’s identity and collective memory.
“We remain resolute in our commitment to working tirelessly for Assam’s progress, prosperity and cultural pride,” he added.
The PM garlanded the bust of Khargeswar Talukdar, the first martyr of the agitation.
Talukdar had died on December 10, 1979, and the memorial was inaugurated earlier this month to mark his death anniversary.
During his around 20-minute visit, the Prime Minister walked around the memorial and toured a gallery where the busts of the martyrs are placed.
He was gifted a replica of the memorial.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who accompanied Modi, said that the PM remembered the sacrifices of the people for protecting the state’s culture.
“Today, as Adarniya @narendramodi ji paid his tributes at the ‘Swahid Smarak Kshetra’ and garlanded the bust of Swahid Khargeswar Talukdar, I could not help but reminded of those dark days in Assam’s history when the Congress party plundered the state on numerous counts – promoting illegal infiltration, massacring sons of the soil, taking the state down into financial abyss,” Sarma said in a post on X.
“Contrast that with today, when people are celebrating development, and the Prime Minister personally remembers the sacrifice of the people in protecting their culture and is deeply invested in the growth of Assam, more than all previous PMs combined,” the chief minister added.
Besides Sarma, Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Assam Accord Implementation Minister Atul Bora accompanied the PM.
Maintaining that Modi was leading “Assam’s renaissance” from the front, Sarma said, “I am honoured to be a small part of this growth journey as part of the larger Double Engine efforts to turn Assam back on an accelerated path – where peace, prosperity and stability reign.”
Bora, talking to reporters after the PM’s visit, said Modi was briefed by the chief minister about the martyrs.
“It is a memorable day for Assam. The Prime Minister paid homage to the martyrs, who laid down their lives during the six-year-long movement when the Congress was in power,” he said.
Bora also heads the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), an ally of the BJP in the state and the political offshoot of the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP), which was among the main groups leading the Assam Agitation.
He said the entire world will seek to know more about the Assam Agitation after the PM’s visit.
“When the PM was touring the gallery, he wanted to know in detail about the martyrs. No prime minister had paid tribute to Assam Agitation martyrs in this manner. We are grateful to Modi ji for it,” Bora added.
Built at a cost of Rs 170 crore, the memorial has facilities like water bodies, an auditorium, a prayer hall, a cycle track and an arrangement for a sound and light show, which will highlight different aspects of the Assam Agitation and the state’s history.
The agitation had culminated with the signing of the Assam Accord on August 15, 1985.
Detection and deportation of illegal immigrants was the main issue over which the six-year-long violent movement took place.
Infiltration remains one of the most contentious topics in Assam’s political and social spheres, with several elections fought over this single issue of illegal Bangladeshi migrants. (PTI)
