To spread awareness about this unsung hero of Assam, Chief Minister
Himanta Biswa Sarma stated a book written on Bir Lachit Borphukan by Arup Dutta
in English will be now translated into 24 regional languages.
Further, Himanta Biswa Sarma said the translation of the book will
be carried out by India’s 24 Sahitya Akademi Award-winning persons and “by the
end of this financial year (April-May)” people will be able to read about the
legend in 24 regional languages.
CM Himanta said, “During the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit
Borphukan when we wrote letters to respective State heads to include a chapter
on him in the school textbooks, it was found that the Chief Ministers of other States
had a vague idea of Lachit Barphukan who defeated Mughals.”
Further he asserted that the Chief Minister of other States had no
idea in what context Bir Lachit Borphukan defeated the Mughals in the Sariaghat
war and how he managed to keep the Mughals out of Assam for a certain period
was unknown to the people of India.
Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that there were only four people – Chhatrapati
Shivaji, Durga Das Rathore, Guru Govind Singh and Bir Lachit Borphukan – in
India who fought bravely against the Mughal and defeated them.
However, only a few know about Bir Lachit Borphukan because not
many textbooks or literature was written in other languages even after 75 years
of Independence.
“Apart from Chhatrapati Shivaji and Guru Govind Singh no one knows
about Durga Das Rathore or Bir Lachit Borphukan outside its respective States…
even Assam’s closest neighbour Siliguri does not know anything about Lachit
Borphukan,” added the Assam CM.
CM Himanta added, “We can write a lot in English and Hindi but till
people are not able to read in Gujarati, Bengali or Marathi or any other
regional language then we cannot appeal to the people about Lachit Borphukan.”
NE Watch Desk
