Nava Thakuria
GUWAHATI, January 7
The Patriotic People’s Front Assam (PPFA) has urged Assam government to complete the construction of the proposed war memorial on the northern bank of Dighalipukhuri (literary meaning long pond) inside the city at the earliest. The forum, while supporting the arguments of All Assam Ex-Servicemen Association that ‘the project would in no way distort the heritage appeal, aesthetic beauty and ecological sanctity of the historic water-body’ appealed to the section of citizens, who are opposing the noble mission, not to hinder on its progress.
It may be mentioned that a group of citizens, led by Assamese academician Dr Hiren Gohain, has been opposing the first war memorial depicting the 1671 Battle of Saraighat, which is under construction following the initiative by Rajya Sainik Board with the support from Assam government, arguing that the concrete structure has violated ‘norms concerning preservation of heritage/historical sites and water-bodies, besides impacting the tank’s ecology adversely’.However, Colonel (retired) Rabin Das, secretary of the ex-servicemen association, pointed out that the proposed war memorial would comprise the statues of Mohabir Lachit Barphukan with other soldiers in the Battle of Saraighat, an Amar Jawan Jyoti reverse rifle with a helmet on top, an uniformed soldier with his rifle reverse arm salute and also relief panels depicting iconic battle scenes from pre & post independent India. Besides aesthetic landscaping, the memorial will also have a huge photograph of the iconic 1971 surrender of Pakistani forces at the hands of Indian Army, making it an important tourist spot, he added.
“But it’s unfortunate that some citizens have raised objections to the construction of the proposed war memorial at the portion of the land which was till now lying absolutely disused with a dilapidated Assam-type house,” said Das adding that the war memorial would be constructed on the available vacant land in the northern bank only and no way over the water-body disturbing the aquatic animals of the pond.
Regarding the choice of the location, Commodore (retired) Kamalesh Chandra Choudhury, VSM (retired), who is the secretary of Rajya Sainik Board, highlighted that the Dighalipukhuri had its own importance during the six hundred years of Ahom rule. As Assam is yet to get a State-level war memorial, the coming-up project at Dighalipukhuri would be a fitting tribute to the known & unknown martyrs & heroes, who sacrificed their lives for the motherland invarious battles & wars, added Choudhury.
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi laid the foundation stone of the rupees 10 crore budget war memorial in May last year, for which noted Assamese sculptor Biren Singha has designed the statues and other artifacts. The construction process is guided in such a way that the water body never gets disturbed and no need of cutting trees for the memorial.
The PPFA, in a statement issued today by Rupam Barua, Jagadindra Raychoudhury, Pramod Kalita etc, reiterated that a war memorial in the city was a long standing demand from the patriotic people of the alienated region and hence the project must not get suffered because of some unfunded reasons floated by a section of citizens. The forum also urged the political parties and civil society groups to avoid using the southern bank of Dighalipukhuri as their frequent protest-demonstration venue.
