PM addresses closing ceremony of year long celebrations of 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan in New Delhi
PM Releases book 'Lachit Borphukan - Assam's Hero who Halted the
Mughals'
“Lachit Borphukan's life inspires us to live the mantra of 'Nation First'”
“Lachit Borphukan's life teaches us that instead of nepotism and dynasty, the
country should be supreme”
“Saints and seers have guided our nation since time immemorial”
“Bravehearts like Lachit Borphukan showed that forces of fanaticism and terror
perish but the immortal light of Indian life remains eternal”
“The history of India is about emerging victorious, it is about the valour of
countless greats”
“Unfortunately, we were taught, even after independence, the same history which
was written as a conspiracy during the period of slavery”
“When a nation knows its real past, only then it can learn from its experiences
and treads the correct direction for its future. It is our responsibility that
our sense of history is not confined to a few decades and centuries”
“We have to make India developed and make Northeast, the hub of India’s growth”
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed
the closing ceremony of the year-long celebrations of the 400th birth
anniversary of Lachit Borphukan in New Delhi today. The Prime Minister also
released the book - 'Lachit Borphukan - Assam's Hero who Halted the Mughals' on
the occasion.
In line with the Prime Minister’s vision to
honour the unsung heroes in a befitting manner, today’s occasion is celebrated
to honour the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan, the famous General
of the Royal Army of the Ahom Kingdom of Assam who defeated the Mughals and
successfully halted the ever-expanding ambitions of the Mughals under Aurangzeb.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister
started with expressing his regard for the land of Assam which gave brave sons
like Veer Lachit. “We bow to the valorous Lachit Borphukan on his 400th birth
anniversary. He played pivotal role in preserving the culture of Assam”, he said
The Prime Minister said, “India is celebrating
the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan at a time when the country is
marking 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'.” Terming Veer Lachit’s exploits a glorious
chapter of the history of Assam, the Prime Minister said “I salute this great
tradition on the occasion of the festival of India’s eternal culture, eternal
valour and eternal existence.” The Prime Minister reiterated India’s mood to
get rid of the mentality of slavery and take pride in its heritage. India is
not only celebrating its cultural diversity but also acknowledging the unsung
heroes and heroines of its history. “Immortal sons of Maa Bharati like Lachit
Borphukan are the inspiration of fulfilling the resolutions of the Amrit Kaal.
They make us familiar with the identity and glory of our history and also spur
us to dedicate ourselves to the nation ”, the Prime Minister added.
“In the thousand-year-old history of human
existence”, the Prime Minister remarked that there were numerous civilisations
that walked the earth, many that seemed imperishable, but it was the wheel of
time that brought them down to their knees. Pointing out the differences
between other civilisations and India, the Prime Minister said that the world
today assesses history based on the remains of such civilisations, but India
which faced unexpected adversities in history and withstanding the unimaginable
terror of foreign invaders still stands immortal with the same energy and
consciousness. This happened because of the fact that whenever there was a
crisis, some personality emerged to tackle that. In epoch, saints and scholars
came to protect the spiritual and cultural identity of India. Bravehearts like
Lachit Borphukan showed that forces of fanaticism and terror perish but the
immortal light of Indian life remains eternal, the Prime Minister emphasised.
Shedding light on the history of Assam, the
Prime Minister said that it belongs to the precious heritage of India’s
cultural journey. It is an amalgamation of thought and ideology, society and
culture, and beliefs and traditions. Remarking on the unmatched bravery of the
land of Assam and the Northeast, the Prime Minister said that the people of the
land have witnessed Turks, Afghans and Mughals being driven away on numerous
occasions. Even though the Mughals had captured Guwahati, it was bravehearts
like Lachit Borphukan who won independence from the clutches of tyrannical
rulers of the Mughal empire. The act of valour shown by Veer Lachit Borphukan
at Saraighat was not just an example of unparalleled love for the motherland
but he also had the power of uniting the entire Assam region where every
citizen was ready to defend the motherland if required. “Lachit
Borphukan’s bravery and fearlessness is the identity of Assam”, the Prime Minister
remarked.
“The history of India is not just about
slavery”, the Prime Minister interjected, “The history of India is about
emerging victorious, it is about the valour of countless greats.” He further
added that India’s history is about standing against tyranny with unprecedented
valour and courage. “Unfortunately, we were taught, even after independence,
the same history which was written as a conspiracy during the period of
slavery. After Independence, it was needed to change the agenda of foreigners
who made us slaves, however, that was not done”, he said. The stories of fierce
resistance to tyranny in every part of the country were wilfully suppressed.
“There are countless stories of victory over tyranny during the long period of
repression. The mistake of not giving those events in the mainstream is being
rectified now, the Prime Minister said. He said that the fact that this event
is taking place in Delhi is a reflection of this change.
The Prime Minister complimented the Assam
Government for taking steps to celebrate the legacy of its heroes. He mentioned
the projects like a museum and a memorial in Assam to honour its heroes. He
said that such steps will help the younger generation to know the history of
sacrifice and bravery. The Prime Minister said “Lachit Borphukan's life
inspires us to live the mantra of 'Nation First.' His life inspires us to rise
above self and to give the highest priority to the national interest. His life
teaches us that instead of nepotism and dynasty, the country should be
supreme.” Taking instances from the life of Veer Lachit Borphukan, the Prime
Minister said, “no person or relation is above nation”.
The Prime Minister emphasised that when a nation
knows its real past, only then it can learn from its experiences and treads the
correct direction for its future. “It is our responsibility that our sense of
history is not confined to a few decades and centuries”, he said. Referring to
the lines from Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika, the Prime Minister said only by
repeatedly remembering we can give the coming generation a correct picture of
history.
The Prime Minister suggested creating a grand
theatre play on Lachit Borphukan on the lines of the one on Chhatrapati Shivaji
Maharaj and taking that to every corner of the country. This will give a great
boost to the resolution of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’. “We have to make
India developed and make Northeast, the hub of India’s growth. I am sure that
the spirit of 400th Jayanti of Veer Lachit Borphukan will give strength to our resolve
and the nation will achieve its goals”, the Prime Minister concluded.
Upon arriving, the Prime Minister took a view of
the rural Assam set-up being portrayed in the West Courtyard of Vigyan Bhawan
and also took a tour of the exhibition on historical perspectives. This was
followed by the Prime Minister lighting the lamp and paying floral tribute
before the portrait of Lachit Borphukan.
Governor of Assam, Prof Jagadish Mukhi, Chief
Minister of Assam, Dr Himanta Biswa Sharma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal,
Members of Parliament, Justice (Retd) Ranjan Gogoi, Topon Kumar Gogoi and
Members of the Assam Government were present, among others.
Background
It has been the constant endeavour of the Prime
Minister to honour the unsung heroes in a befitting manner. In line with this,
the country is celebrating 2022 as the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit
Borphukan. The celebrations were inaugurated in February this year by the then President
of India, Ram Nath Kovind in Guwahati.
Lachit Borphukan (24th November 1622 — 25th
April 1672) was the famous General of the Royal Army of the Ahom Kingdom of
Assam who defeated the Mughals and successfully halted the ever-expanding
ambitions of the Mughals under Aurangzeb. Lachit Borphukan inspired the
Assamese soldiers in the Battle of Saraighat fought in 1671, and delivered a
crushing and humiliating defeat on the Mughals. The heroic fight of Lachit
Borphukan and his army remains one of the most inspiring military feats of
resistance in the history of our country.