Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid homage to the martyrs of the Assam Agitation at the Swahid Smarak Kshetra in Guwahati, honouring those who laid down their lives during the six-year-long movement against illegal immigration.
During his nearly 20-minute visit, Modi offered floral tributes before the eternal flame that commemorates the 860 martyrs of the agitation, which culminated in the signing of the Assam Accord in 1985. He also walked through the memorial complex and toured the gallery housing busts of the martyrs.
The Prime Minister garlanded the bust of Khargeswar Talukdar, the first martyr of the Assam Agitation, who died on December 10, 1979. The memorial was inaugurated earlier this month to mark Talukdar’s death anniversary.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who accompanied Modi, said the visit reflected the Prime Minister’s respect for the sacrifices made to protect Assam’s cultural identity. In a post on X, Sarma said, “Today, as Adarniya @narendramodi ji paid his tributes at the 'Swahid Smarak Kshetra' and garlanded the bust of Swahid Khargeswar Talukdar, I could not help but reminded of those dark days in Assam's history when the Congress party plundered the state on numerous counts - promoting illegal infiltration, massacring sons of the soil, taking the state down into financial abyss.”
“Contrast that with today, when people are celebrating development, and the Prime Minister personally remembers the sacrifice of the people in protecting their culture and is deeply invested in the growth of Assam, more than all previous PMs combined,” Sarma added.
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Besides Sarma, Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Assam Accord Implementation Minister Atul Bora were present during the visit.
Maintaining that Modi was leading “Assam’s renaissance”, Sarma said, “I am honoured to be a small part of this growth journey as part of the larger Double Engine efforts to turn Assam back on an accelerated path - where peace, prosperity and stability reign.”
Bora later said the Prime Minister was briefed on the history of the agitation and the sacrifices of the martyrs. “It is a memorable day for Assam. The Prime Minister paid homage to the martyrs, who laid down their lives during the six-year-long movement when the Congress was in power,” he said.
Bora, who also heads the Asom Gana Parishad, said Modi showed keen interest while touring the gallery. “No prime minister had paid tribute to Assam Agitation martyrs in this manner,” he added.
Built at a cost of Rs 170 crore, the memorial includes water bodies, an auditorium, a prayer hall, a cycle track and a sound-and-light show depicting key phases of the Assam Agitation and the state’s history.
The agitation, driven by demands for the detection and deportation of illegal immigrants, remains a defining chapter in Assam’s political and social discourse.
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