Guwahati: The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal paid respect to Swargadeo Saulung Sukapha on the occasion of Asom Divas on Friday and took part in a stimulating meeting that was held at his official house in New Delhi.
Setting the context to the top of the line discussion on the role of Assam and Northeast, Sarbananda Sonowal said, “Today on the pious occasion of Assam Day, we pay our sincere homage to the great unifier and the founder of the great Ahom dynasty in Assam, Swargadeo Saulung Sukapha. The priceless contribution of this great soul to unify the various communities to build the greater Assamese society remains the cornerstone of our identity.”
The union minister said,“The vision and value system that the great Swargadeo Sukapha ingrained while building the greater Assamese society still helps the Assamese society to represent our society and Assam at the national as well as International stage with great pride.”
The Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Prof. Shantishree Dhulipudi Pandit, drew attention to the underappreciated Indian dynasties that made significant contributions to the preservation and advancement of the country. The Ahoms, Cholas, Mauryas, and other people were mentioned by her.
In his speech, Prof. Kapil Kapoor discussed the great Ahoms and how it shielded the entire Northeast from barbaric incursions. Prof. Kapoor also discussed the long-standing historical ties between the people of the Northeast and central India. He cited passages from the Mahabharata and other significant treaties as evidence of the Kings of the North-pan-Indian East’s attitude.
The path of the Ahom monarchy was discussed by Prof. Vinay Kumar Rao, chairman of the Special Centre for Study of Northeast India. He discussed how the Ahom dynasty shaped the current cultural and geographical makeup of Assam. Prof. Rao emphasised the need of keeping the monuments that commemorate the illustrious days of the Ahom empire.
Leading thinker and distinguished historian Hindol Sengupta concentrated on the falsification of Indian history, from which many names of the valiant Indian warriors, like the Ahoms, were deleted in order to colonise the Indian minds.
Academicians, technocrats and senior bureaucrats from the Assamese society based in Delhi NCR, representatives from Assam Association Delhi (AAD), Assam Association Gurgaon (AAG) and Assam Association Noida, among other senior bureaucrats, were among the intellectuals and thought leaders who attended the thought-provoking meet. These included professors and heads of departments from various faculties of JNU and Delhi University.