GUWAHATI, Feb 20 - To discuss the issue of ensuring proper recognition of the patriotism and sacrifice of Piyaali Baruah, a prominent hero of the 1857 revolt against the British rule in Assam who was never given the hallowed place in history he deserved, a meeting will be held under the banner of 'Piyaali Baruah Smriti Rakshya Samiti' at Choladhora, Jorhat, on February 26, coinciding with the date on which Baruah was hanged alongside his mentor Maniram Dewan for the same offence in Jorhat in the year 1858.
The meeting, which will begin at 3.30 pm, will also constitute a new committee comprising a few prominent citizens of Jorhat to give the movement for Piyaali Baruah a new lease of life, according to a statement released here today.
It is pertinent to recall that a section of individuals of Jorhat had indeed come forward in the late 1990s to undo the historical injustices meted out to the 1857 hero, but due to inadequate administrative support, their work remained incomplete, the statement mentioned.
For one reason or another, historians of the pre- and post-independence Assam have failed to take correct note of Piyaali's ultimate sacrifice and the crucial role he played in India�s first struggle for independence. As a result, his name forever remained under the shadow of Maniram Dewan, despite the fact that it is Piyaali who had executed Dewan�s plans on the ground to mobilise and incite people against the British. Another crucial factor that has worked against Piyaali as a historical figure is the similarity between his name and that of Piyoli Phukan. Although Phukan was hanged in 1830, people often mistake Piyoli Phukan and Piyaali Baruah as the same person, the statement added.
