40 years after Assam Accord, Martyrs’ Memorial Park to open on Dec 10
A 100-bigha Martyrs’ Memorial Park honouring 860 martyrs of the Assam Movement will feature a light and sound show, meditation centre and cultural tributes
An aerial view of the under-construction Martyrs’ Memorial Park in Guwahati (Photo - @ATULBORA2 / X)
Guwahati, Dec 7: December 10 will be an important day for Assam, as, after 40 years since the signing of the Assam Accord, the Martyrs’ Memorial Park of the Assam Movement will be inaugurated in the Boragaon area of the city to pay homage to 860 martyrs of the movement.
The park has been set up in a plot of 100 bighas of land, and it will have the busts of 869 martyrs of the Assam Movement. However, photos of some of the martyrs could not be located, and busts of them have been constructed only with names and sketches.
The memorial has a tall tower and a meditation centre. A light and sound show will be on show every evening, and there are cycle and jogging tracks within the park. The Assam Movement will be depicted through the light and sound show. An auditorium has also been constructed, and songs of Dr Bhupen Hazarika, Jyotiprasad Agarwala and Zubeen Garg will be played in the memorial all throughout the day.
This year on Martyrs’ Day, all District Commissioners will organise programmes in their respective districts.
Meanwhile, commenting on the martyrs’ memorial, chief adviser of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Samujjal Bhattacharya, said that it was a long-pending demand of the AASU and people of Assam to construct a memorial to pay homage to the martyrs of the Assam Movement. Welcoming the Government’s initiative, he said that 860 persons lost their lives while taking part in a non-violent movement for a national cause. He pointed out that the problem of infiltration of foreigners is not only a problem of Assam, but it is also a threat to the security of the nation.
Bhattacharya said that the new generation, who did not see the movement, can know about it by visiting the Park. It will also become a tourist spot, and outsiders who visit the State will get to know details of the Assam Movement by visiting the park. By attending the light and sound show, people will be able to visualise the movement. He revealed that a committee was formed to finalise the script of the light and sound show. He urged the Government to take effective steps to maintain the park properly.
However, at the same time, Bhattacharya admitted that the goal for which 860 persons made supreme sacrifice is yet to be attained. The goal will be achieved only when all the clauses of the Assam Accord are implemented, and foreigners are detected and deported from Assam, he added.