The highest honour of the Motok community, Swargadeo Sarbananda Singha Award was presented to chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal in a programme held to mark the 213th Swargadeo Sarbananda Singha Divas and Sanskritik Samaroh of the Motok community at Rajkumar Longkeswar Gohain Khetra, ITI playground in Tinsukia district on Sunday.
The award was presented by the socio-cultural, youth and student organisations of the Motok community led by Sadou Asom Motok Sanmilan and carried a chaleng chador, a memento of the Motok King Sarbananda Singha, a citation and cheque of Rs 1 lakh.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Sarbananda Sonowal highlighted the people-centric administration of Swargadeo Sarbananda Singha and urged the people of the state to uphold his values in building a strong and vibrant Assam.
“Swargadeo Sarbananda Singha set up the Motok kingdom with the help of the people to serve their cause and governed the province with the advice and support of the people. Therefore, to keep his ideals alive the people of the state would have to replicate his vision and ideas in different fields of their works,” Sonowal said adding that the Motok community is an integral part of the Assamese society and they are known for their courage and bravery.
This community would have to play a more important role in taking the Assamese community forward in the days to come, he observed.
Sonowal further said that Assam is a blessed land where legendary rulers like Swargadeo Chaolung Sukapha, Swargadeo Sarbananda Singha, Lachit Borphukan, Birangana Sati Sadhini and Bodosa were born. Similarly, spiritual gurus like Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva, Madavdeva, Aniruddhadeva, Harideva and Damodardeva inspired the Assamese community with moral and ethical values. The Assamese community would have to follow their ideals and work with greater enthusiasm to promote peace, harmony and brotherhood amongst all communities of the state.
Stating that the state government is making its best efforts to boost the abilities of the youth to face the challenges of the 21st century, Chief Minister Sonowal said that the state government is committed to preserve the culture, language and heritage of each of the communities irrespective of their size.
He also exhorted the people of the state not to panic under any circumstances and reaffirmed that the government is working to protect the interest of all the communities with equal importance.
