Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on December 10 announced a Rs 5-crore corpus fund to benefit people affected by the six-year long Assam Agitation.
Taking part in a tribute programme organized by the Assam Accord implementation department on the occasion of ‘Swahid Divas’ in Guwahati on December 10, CM Sarma said that the sacrifices and heroism of the martyrs of the Assam Agitation would continue to inspire the people of the state to embark on a new economic and political movement for the survival of the Assamese community.
Coinciding with the occasion, CM Sarma released the second and third volume of the database on Assam Agitation titled “Asom Andolonor Tathyakosh”.
He also ceremonially launched a Rs 5-crore corpus fund to benefit people affected by the agitation.
Chief minister Sarma said that martyr Khargeswar Talukdar sacrificed his life for safeguarding our land from the aggression of illegal migrants at Bhabanipur on this day in 1979 while taking part at the spontaneous mass movement. He said that to uphold the pride of the Assamese people, more than 850 youth of the state lost their lives in Assam Agitation. He added that their sacrifices would continue to inspire us to move ahead with the new economic and political movement launched in the state for greater interest of the Assamese community.
The chief minister observed that in spite of the sacrifices of several hundred youths during the movement, the Assamese community is still unsafe, rather it is more vulnerable as huge tract of land of the state has come under encroachment today.
“The Assamese community has lost economic power and their political authority is greatly challenged today,” he said and appealed the people to introspect at this critical juncture to make the Assamese community stronger.
Stating that the present government has been working staunchly every day in last six months to rebuild the Assamese community, chief minister Sarma urged the people to unite themselves to safeguard the language, art & culture and land rights of the Assamese people.
Minister for Assam Accord implementation department, Atul Bora, also delivered speech during the programme which was attended by ministers Chandra Mohan Patowary, UG Brahma, Pijush Hazarika, Bimal Bora, among others.
