JORHAT, Feb 26 - Paying tribute to the portrait of the martyr of India�s freedom struggle, Piyali Baruah, on his 159th death anniversary on the premises of Choladhara Paragati Samaj here today several descendants of freedom fighters, elderly citizens and locals of Jorhat remembered the great hero whose noble sacrifice for the country was remembered elsewhere in the State.
Along with martyr Maniram Dewan, Piyali was hanged at Jorhat on February 26 in 1858 on the charge of inciting Hindustani sepoys against the British Government during the Sepoy Mutiny. Being a close associate of Maniram, he went to the camp of the sepoys who were stationed in a village called Nogora which is located about 12 km south from the Golaghat town, historical references stated.
Expressing serious concern over the negligence to the martyr a senior office-bearer of Choladhara Pragati Samaj, Paraj Bakul Barua said that the immense contributions of Piyali would be placed in oblivion for the next generations of the State if they do not take up initiative to keep his memory alive in Jorhat.
Encouraged by Piyali Baruah and his close associates, the Hindustani sepoys raised the first banner of revolt in the State openly on August 29 in 1857 and later, Piyali was awarded death sentence by the British for arousing the soldiers against the Colonial Government. However, neither any statue of Piyali was erected in his home district Jorhat nor any public lane was named after him by the government or any organisation in the State even after 159 years of his death and he has been remained less mentioned in comparison to many other martyrs of the India�s first struggle for independence that is Sepoy Mutiny.
Narrating the noble sacrifice of Piyali noted historical researcher and the former teacher of Jorhat based JB College Dr Ajit Kumar Dutta said that the initiative of Choladhara Pragati Samaj will remind everyone to remember the martyr Piyali Baruah in future as the social forum of Jorhat had already took some resolutions to keep alive the memory of him through a series of activities.
Along with the descendants of a daughter of Piyali Baruah, great-grandsons of Bahadur Gaonbura, Lukinath Sensua Barua and a leader of the Hindustani sepoys and many other elite citizens of Jorhat today expressed their concern over the apparent negligence on the part of the Government to the martyr of Jorhat.
Most of them demanded the State Government to construct a park in the memory of Piyali and other martyrs of the State who lost their lives for their involvement in the India�s first struggle for independence of 1857 that is Sepoy Mutiny.
However, united under the platform of Choladhara Pragati Samaj, a committee has been formed today to implement some academic activities and memorable works at the city in the memory of Piyali Baruah in near future in which the local MP and MLA were named as patrons along with many senior citizens of the city.
