MANGALDAI, Feb 2 � �In the history of the freedom struggle of India, the massacre of Patharughat is no less important than that of the Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab. In fact it happened well before the freedom movement and thus the poor farmers of Patharughat paved the way for the Indian freedom movement. But the people of the nation have very little knowledge about it. Fortunately things have now changed and people have started exploring this historical development,� said Maj Gen Nav Kiran Santosh Ghei, GOC, Red Horn Division of the Army while paying homage to the 140 peasant martyrs at Patharughat in Darrang amid full military honours on January 29.
Speaking at the function organised by the 65 Field Regiment under Red Horn as the chief guest, Maj Gen Ghei further said that Patharughat is a symbol of freedom, sacrifice and unity and so we must take a promise that we would not let the rare sacrifices of the brave peasants for the noble cause of our freedom be forgotten.We should maintain this tradition of remembering these martyrs with more and more enthusiasm and involvement.
Earlier Maj Gen Ghei offered floral wreath on the martyrs� memorial tomb constructed by Indian Army a decade ago. Later talking to mediapersons, he informed of their future plan to construct a children�s park at Patharughat in memory of the peasant martyrs under Operation Sadbhavana.
While addressing the august gathering, Kumud Chandra Kalita, Deputy Commissioner, Darrang appealed to the GOC, Red Horn Division of the Army to extend cooperation to the proposed national-level seminar on Patharughat Peasants� Uprising in New Delhi which is to be organised under the initiative of the Darrang district administration.
The ceremony was also attended by the Brigadier of 21 Mountain Artillery Brigade, VK Tiwary, Thaneswar Malakar, Deputy Commissioner, Udalguri, Superintendent of Police, Udalguri, Debojit Deori, Dr Nagendra Nath Sarma, president, Darrang Zila Sahitya Sabha and higher Army officials of Darrang and Udalguri along with hundreds of local people. Various patriotic cultural programmes were also performed to the mark the occasion. An all religious prayer meeting was also held at the beginning of the function.
