Guwahati Police pays tribute to Ahom general Lachit Borphukan at special event

Guwahati: The Guwahati Police on Sunday organised a special event here to pay tribute to the legendary army commander of the Ahom kingdom, Lachit Borphukan.

Top police officers along with leading citizens from different fields paid tribute at Lachit Ghat in the city, which oversees a statue of the general and his soldiers.

“As the country celebrates 400 yrs of the Birth Anniversary of one of the greatest sons of Assam & India, General Lachit Borphukan, the City Police today organised a Shraddhanjali Sabha’ to commemorate & celebrate the valour, sacrifice & ideals of the noble soul, Guwahati Police Tweeted later.

It added that leading citizens from all fields took part in the commemoration.

Special Director General of Police GP Singh, city police commissioner Harmeet Singh and Home secretary Diganta Borah were among those present on the occasion.

In February, former President Ram Nath Kovind had launched the 400th birth anniversary celebrations of Borphukan and laid the foundation of a 150-foot bronze statue of the legendary commander, to be constructed at his memorial in an area of over 16.5 acres at Hollongapar near Teok.

The commander is known for his leadership in the 1671 ‘Battle of Saraighat’ on Brahmaputra that thwarted a drawn-out attempt by the mighty Mughal forces, led by Raja Ramsingh-I, to take back Assam.

The National Defence Academy has been awarding its best cadet with the Lachit Borphukan Gold Medal every year since 1999 and a statue of him was later established in the complex.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has written to his counterparts in other states requesting them to include a chapter on the Ahom general in the school and college syllabus.

The letter is a part of the Assam government’s series of initiatives related to the year-long birth anniversary celebrations of the 17th century great Ahom army general.

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