Guwahati: A panel discussion titled “The Ahom Saga of Hope Skills and Courage” took place on Wednesday at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi as part of the 400th Birth Anniversary celebration of Lachit Borphukan.
The moderator of the discussion was Jishnu Baruah, retired Chief Secretary, Assam while the panelists were State Information Commissioner, Assam Dr. Samudra Gupta Kashyap, Associate Professor of Dibrugarh University Dr. Chandan Kumar Sharma, Academician Kuldeep Patowary, Former DG Assam Prakash Singh, Lt. General GoC in C of Indian Army’s Eastern Command Rana Pratap Kalita and Pro Vice Chancellor of JNU Prof. Kapil Kapur.
The presenters spoke extensively about the Ahoms’ socioeconomic significance, paying particular attention to their military prowess and their relevance in the histories of Assam, India, and all of South East Asia.
In his speech, Prakash Singh stressed Lachit Borphukan’s political predecessors’ contribution to the edifice of patriotism, statesmanship, and bravery of the Ahom general. He also noted the praise Lachit Borphukan received from scholars of the Mughal court. The former police officer who worked in Assam in the late 1980s praised the efforts made to give Lachit Borphukan his rightful position in Indian history and stated that the majority of other states’ great heroes are still awaiting recognition.
The state’s socio-political existence has benefited from upholding Lachit Borphukan’s beliefs, ideals, and ethos, Dr. Chandan Sharma emphasises, citing numerous manuscripts and antiquated publications. In order to support his claims, he used examples of how Lachit’s name and memory helped Assamese citizens during a time of difficulty, including the freedom movement.
The importance of Lachit Borphukan’s military expertise in the current situation was emphasised by Lt. General Rana Pratap Kalita. He said, “A great military commander is aware of how to best utilise the topography and meteorological conditions at his disposal. Lachit Borphukan accomplished it in the Saraighat naval battle with victory “.
It should be noted that the exhibition held to commemorate the anniversary was opened by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. In 2022, Bir Lachit Borphukan will celebrate his 400th birthday, and the Assam government has planned to commemorate the occasion with a yearlong celebration. On February 25, 2022, the Indian president officially opened the celebration. Making a national and international audience aware of the life and contributions of the Ahom general of the 17th century is one of the main goals of this event. Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Minister, will attend the celebration’s final event as the chief guest.