The Assam government plans to send about 1,000 youth to the Cellular Jail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands for instilling the spirit of nationalism in them, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
“We have decided to send 1,000 youth from Assam to Cellular Jail as part of #AzadiKaAmritMahotsov and to imbibe the spirit of nationalism by drawing inspiration from the sacrifices of our brave freedom fighters,” he tweeted on Thursday.
The Chief Minister said the Cellular Jail holds a special place in India’s independence movement as scores of freedom fighters were thrown in there for revolting against the British regime.
He recalled the sacrifices made by the Assamese freedom fighters at a special session of the 126-member State Assembly on Wednesday. The session had been convened as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
Mr. Sarma lamented the ignorance of many across the country about Assam’s Patharughat uprising on January 28, 1894. More than 1,00 peasants, protesting the increase in land taxes, were gunned by the forces at the command of the British officers.
He also said he had written to all his counterparts across the country to include a chapter on 17 th century Ahom general Lachit Borphukan in their academic curriculum. “India must know about Borphukan’s bravery,” he added.
Borphukan had led the Ahoms to victory in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat against the much larger Mughal army. Saraighat is considered the greatest naval battle ever fought on a river — the Brahmaputra off present-day Guwahati.
