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Sankaradeva was a messenger of peace: Rajnath

By Shambhu Boro

Pokamura Pathar (Jamugurihat), March 2 - Urging the new generation to come forward to build a new India as well as a new Assam by establishing peace and integrity among the people of the region in sync with the ideology of Srimanta Sankaradeva, Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh on Thursday said here that the great saint is remembered today not only as a great religious reformer and preacher, but also as a great scholar and a renowned writer who greatly enriched Assamese language and literature and raised it to a high level of excellence.

Inaugurating the four-day long programme of Baresaharaia Bhaona, which has a 220-year-long history and is celebrated after every five years, here, the Union Home Minister also said that Sankaradeva was a messenger of peace, integrity and culture who presented before the people a holy institution like satra and naamghar. He also mentioned that Baresaharia Bhaona is not simply a venue of entertainment or enacting bhaona, rather it is a shrine where spiritual vibrations can be felt, providing a message of brotherhood and bonding among different castes and communities.

Remembering �Sonit Kwonar� Gajen Baruah the man behind today�s Baresaharia Bhaona, who invested all his efforts to bring out the Vaishnavite culture from the four walls of the naamghar and the satras to the open, providing an opportunity to the people from both the hills and plains to participate in it, he stated that the Assamese nation is a rich one from every angle including culture. �Assam is enriched with a vibrant culture as the guru of Neo-Vaishnavite religion Srimanta Sankaradeva and cultural icons like Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha, Rupkonwar Jyotiprasad Agarwala, Natasurya Phani Sarma and Dr Bhupen Hazarika were born on this land. For building a greater Assamese nation, we will have to follow their philosophy and ideology,� he said adding that Baresaharia Bhaona should be popularised across the nation, like the Kumbha Mela across the nation.

In his speech, the Union Minister expressing his satisfaction on the present-day situation of the region, said that in comparison to the past ten years, Assam is now a peaceful zone. �There is no place of hatred in a place like Assam where a saint like Srimanta Sankaradeva established the philosophy of love and brotherhood.� He urged the youths involved in many insurgency groups to join the mainstream for building a new and peaceful Assam giving priority to the depth of democracy.

Earlier, in his welcome speech, the president of the celebration committee, Padma Hazarika, MLA of Sootea LAC, urged all concerned to extend their helping hand to make the mega event a grand success. The Satradhikar, Nikamul Satra, Punya Brata Deva Goswami established the singhasan of the bhaona. The event was also graced by Tezpur MP, RP Sharma, Irrigation Minister, Ranjit Dutta, MLA, Biswanath, Pramod Barthakur among others.

Earlier, in the morning a cultural procession with different cultural troupes was taken from the out from Khadoisuk village taking the singhasan. It needs mention here that besides the Pokamura Pathar, the greater Jamugurihat area is also wearing a festive look as after a gap of five long years, the festival is being celebrated in the area.

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