Guwahati, Feb 25 (PTI) President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday launched the 400th birth anniversary celebrations of Ahom general Lachit Borphukan, and laid the foundations for a war memorial and a 150-foot bronze statue of the legendary commander.
Speaking at the function at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra auditorium, Kovind said Lachit Borphukan was one of the greatest army generals India has ever produced.
“I bow my head to this great land of Assam where Lachit Borphukan was born. I truly hope that he remains an inspiration to our soldiers,” he added.
Lachit Borphukan was a legendary army commander of the Ahom kingdom. He is known for his leadership in the 1671 ‘Battle of Saraighat’ on the Brahmaputra that thwarted a drawn-out attempt by the mighty Mughal forces, led by Raja Ramsingh-I, to take back Assam.
The celebrations will be be held across the state and other parts of the country.
“Such celebrations are important for our future generations. The youth will get inspiration of patriotism from these programmes. These events also give us an opportunity to connect with our past and re-visit our history,” he added.
Kovind also laid the foundation of Alaboi War Memorial, to be constructed at Dadara in Kamrup district of Assam.
The Battle of Alaboi was fought on August 5, 1669, between the Ahoms and Mughals in which the Ahoms suffered severe reverses and thousands of its soldiers were killed.
The president highlighted the determination of Lachit Borphukan, who, after suffering a massive defeat at Alaboi, decimated the Mughals within just two years in 1671.
He said that the land of Assam is one of the few areas where all the attempts of the invaders in the medieval period were thwarted.
“Mughals made repeated attempts to expand their empire in the Northeastern region. In the battle of Alaboi, around 10,000 brave soldiers of Assam sacrificed their lives. After that, the feeling of patriotism got stronger.
“Two years later, Lachit Borphukan retaliated and not only Aurangzeb’s army was defeated in the historic battle of Saraighat, but that defeat proved to be the final nail in the coffin of the expansionist policies of the Mughals in the Northeast,” Kovind said.
He also launched the beautification and repair work of Lachit Borphukan’s ‘maidam’ (burial ground) at Teok in Jorhat district.
Giving details of the projects, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Alaboi War Memorial will be constructed on 25 acres in Dadara and will feature a 100-foot tall ‘Hengdang’ (Ahom sword).
He also stated that a 150-foot bronze statue of Lachit Borphukan and a war museum, among other facilities, will be built at his memorial in an area of over 16.5 acres at Hollongapar near Teok.
The president, accompanied by his wife and daughter, arrived in Guwahati on Friday on a three-day visit to Assam. PTI TR SOM SOM
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