GUWAHATI, Nov 16 � Five leading citizens in a memorandum have urged the State Government to set up a park in memory of the heroes of the historic Saraighat Battle that helped Assam drive away the mighty Mughals conclusively from its territory.
The signatories to the memorandum include former IAS Jagannath Chakravorty, former Deputy Director of Archaeology Dr Prodeep Sarma, president of the Sadou Asom Devalaya Santha Kiran Sarma, senior citizen Krishna Barua and social worker Jagannath Dey.
They have suggested that the �undulated strip of land along the river front from the promontory now occupied by the SP office near DC�s residence (contiguous to the Sukreswar Temple) can be remodeled into a Commemorative Park by installing the life-size statues of the heroes of the Battle of Saraighat.�
�Incidentally, this crest line was the coastal area of greater Itakhuli cantonment of the Mughals who had installed their cannons along this precipice to resist movement of the Ahom navy. It is on record that the Ahom army had silenced this powerful battery most tactfully which resulted in winning the first phase of the Saraighat battle held in the year 1667,� said the signatories of the memorandum.
They have suggested use of a second plot of land as an alternative for the purpose. This is an area of two or more acres of land that can be reclaimed in the midst of the Brahmaputra in front of the Machkhowa Idgah and about 100 metres away from the Mahatma Gandhi Road.
This area is not very deep even when the river is in spate and shows extensive sandbars during winter. Known as Andharu-Bali during historical times, this landmass was used by the Ahom garrison to strike the final attack on the Mughals under the generalship of Lachit Barphukan and won the great Battle of Saraighat in 1671, said the signatories of the memorandum.
As a third alternative, the signatories of the memorandum suggested that a vacant area near the junction of the old Assam Trunk Road and the National Highway-37 in Khanapara area may be used for the purpose.
In another memorandum, 72 residents of the Greater Uzanbazar area have pleaded with the State Government for immediate measures to direct the Assam Tourism Development Corporation authorities as well as other law enforcing authorities to maintain the Sati Radhika Santi Udyan in a decent manner.
They have alleged that some young persons are indulging in �some sort of abnormal and ignominious activities, which can be termed as nuisance, indecent and obscene acts� inside the park.
