Patharighat remembers Martyrs

Army's Red Horn Division organized a public rally on 29 January 2008 at Patharighat in Darrang district, bout 70 kilometers away from the state capital Guwahati, to pay homage to the martyrs, who had laid down their lives in supreme sacrifice while protesting against the brutalities and oppressive rule of the Britishers in January 1894. Major Gen. Gyan Bhushan, AVSM,VSM of Red Horn Division was the chief guest at the function.

It may be mentioned here that at Patherighat on 28 January 1894, the farmers of the village protested against unjustified increase in land revenue by the erstwhile British Empire. The farmers belonging to various castes, creed and religion had risen against the British tyranny as a cohesive force and with this Assam emerged as one of the pioneers and fore runners of India's struggle for  independence. The British rulers brutally killed 140 farmers and injured more than 150 innocent  people.  The local people ever since then observed this day as Martyr's Day in their memory.  The Army with co-operation of the civil administration constructed a memorial at Patharighat and the same was dedicated to the memory of the martyrs by Lt Gen (Red) S K Sinha, PVSM,AVSM, and the erstwhile Governor of Assam on 28th January 2001.

Speaking at the function Shri Phaniram Das, a noted freedom fighter and Gandhian regretted that due to large scale corruption in the society and administration, the state of Assam could not develop even after sixty years of independence. Veteran Gandhian, Shri Das, who has attained the age of 90, expressed displeasure over the publicity done by the administration about the development activities in the state. He said that a few people were busy in procuring wealth and neglecting  the people of the state. This trend was very dangerous to the society. He advised them to be people-friendly and think about the welfare of the state.

Defending the role of the Army in the state,  he flayed those people  who plead for removal of the Army from the state. He said the Army  has come here to protect the people from torture and injustice. They would go away as soon as the people feel secured. He appreciated the Army for its people-friendly activities. He said that the Gandhian philosophy is relevant much more in present days. Unless the people learn the lesson from the life of Mahatma Gandhi, the peace and prosperity of the nation is not possible.

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