Bhupen Goswami
Guwahati : Thousands of people took part in today’s Bharat Jodo Yatra-Assam march from Kamargaon Chariali in Numaligarh of Golaghat district. Following the lead of APCC President Bhupen Kumar Bora, scores of people march in protest of price rise, unemployment problem and communalism. Before the start of the Padayatra, APCC President Bhupen Kumar Bora, leader of the Congress Legislature Party Debabrata Saikia, MP Gaurav Gogoi, MLA Bhaskar Baruah and a number of leaders assembled at Numaligarh’s Baba Than, where they offered a Xorai and sought blessings. After that, the Congress leaders arrived at Aideu Handique Cultural Centre at Panidihingia to pay tribute to the first actress in Assamese films. Then, they addressed a public meeting at the Natya Mandir in Old Kamargaon. Delivering a speech at the meeting, APCC President Bhupen Kumar Bora condemned the BJP for completely ignoring the memory of the first actress of Assamese films, Aideu Handique. Forgetting their promise to preserve and protect the ‘Jati-Mati-Bheti’ of the Assamese people, the BJP is now obsessed with Hindutva only, he said. Severe danger to the Assamese language and culture is now being posed by the BJP.
Noted Assamese personalities from different fields, including the learned, linguistic and litterateurs are now being forgotten by the Himanta Biswa Sarma government and the people are also in danger of being forgotten soon. Shri Bora said, “We have to keep alive our distinguished history. Nobody has allowed or going to allow anybody to remove the memory of the great people of Assam”. He reiterated that the communal party BJP has to be thrown out of Assam otherwise a great danger will befall the state. He urged the people to stand united against the misrule and anti Assam policies of the BJP. MP Gaurav Gogoi addressed the people, saying that the BJP has polluted the air and water of Assam. The Himanta Biswa Sarma government has brought on attacks to the distinguished history of the state, he said. “We have to stop such activities somehow and at any cost bid goodbye to the BJP. Then only will we be able to restore the age-old harmony and brotherhood among the people”, he said. Gogoi also announced Rs 10 lakh each for the restoration and upkeep of the memorials dedicated to Aideu Handique and Syed Abdul Malik.
In his speech, AICC Secretary Vikas Upadhyay appealed to the people of Assam to come out unitedly in protest of the BJP. At today’s proceedings, apart from APCC President Bhupen Kumar Bora, Debabrata Saikia, Vikas Upadhayay, MLA Sivamani Bora, former minister Bismita Gogoi, MLA Basanta Das, MLA November 30, 2022 (Manjit Mahanta) Chairman, Media Department Assam PCC Bhaskar Baruah, party Working President Rana Goswami, BJY-Assam State Co-ordinator Ramen Borthakur, former MLA Roselina Tirkey, Vice-Presidents Balika Lahon Pegu and Rupa Deuri, General Secretaries Ramanna Baruah, Apurba Kuymar Bhattacharya and Golap Saikia, Nagaon district Congress president Suresh Bora, Golaghat district Congress president Dadu Taye and other district Congress leaders and workers, other sister organisations of APCC and thousands of general public participated. Starting from Kamargaon Chariali, the march traversed a distance to around 10 kilometres to end at Khumtai. At the end of the Padyatra, then Congress leadership prayed at Nagaon Naamghar at Khumtai and paid rich tributes at the memorial for martyred hero Jintu Gogoi.
The leaders also lit earthen lamps at the memorial dedicated to late Congress leader Jibakanta Gogoi and then paid homage to Assam’s great Ahom King Chaolung Sukapha before ending the day’s proceedings. Around 7,000 people took part in the day’s programme.