“Conspiracy continuing against Assam”: CM Sarma on Swahid Divas

He also informed that the state government has set up a trust for the welfare of the families of the Assam movement martyrs

Time8 Webdesk
December 10, 2021
4:02 pm

Guwahati: Assam continued to remain under threat from conspirators, said state chief minister Himanta Biswa Saram as he remembered the martyrs of the historic Assam movement on the occasion of ‘Swahid Divas’ held on December 10 annually.

Attending a function in Morigaon, Sarma said that though the martyrs of the Assam movement had sacrificed their lives for the better future of the community, their goal continued to be a distant dream.

He said, “The dream of safeguarding the constitutional rights of the community completely is still to achieve. There are more challenges for the Assamese community than that from 1989 (when the movement started). Today there is conspiracy ongoing outside as well as inside who have been trying to harm the community.”

On the occasion of #SwahidDivas, paid tributes to the braveheart swahids of our land at a programme organised by BJYM, Assam Pradesh at Morigaon.

Also felicitated family members of swahids and victims of physical abuse during their fight to save the Assamese identity. pic.twitter.com/4eYa7ftIwA
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) December 10, 2021

“They (conspirators) have failed the National Register of Citizens (NRC), a dream of the Assam movement. Assamese people are living in hostile situation and we need to fight back till achieve our desired goal,” the chief minister said.

He also informed that the state government has set up a trust with Rs 5 cr for the welfare of the families of the Assam movement martyrs. The trust will look after education, medical expenses and overall welfare of such families.

The CM informed, “The trust will have representatives from the martyrs’ families and the groups which led the movement. We aim to make the trust worth over Rs 50 crore. The martyrs’ families have also requested me to facilitate government jobs to their members and the state cabinet will soon take up the matter.”

Swahid Divas is observed on the death anniversary of the first martyr of the movement, Khargeshwar Talukdar, who was killed on 1979 in a clash with police personnel in Bhawanipur Chowk. At least 860 people have lost their lives in the Assam movement which ran from 1979 to 1985 resulting in the signing of the Assam Accord. Assam movement aimed to free the state from illegal influx from Bangladesh.