Himanta visits historic Jorhat Central Jail, pays homage to martyr Kushal Konwar

HT Correspondent
JORHAT, Aug 19: The historic Jorhat Central Jail, where martyr Kushal Konwar was executed would be made into a heritage site as it was inextricably linked with the country’s Freedom Movement, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said here on Thursday.
Sarma said that the state government would develop a heritage site in 100 bighas out of the 307 bighas of jail land.
“It will be done as a mark of tribute to our great freedom fighters during the celebration of 75th year of Independence Ajadi ka Amrit Mahotsav,” he said.
It was in this jail that Swaheed Kushal Konwar was hanged by the British on June 15, 1943.
Sarma paid homage to the portrait of Konwar kept inside the cell in which he had been kept and which has been preserved.
The Jorhat Central Jail, formerly known as Jorhat District Jail was constructed during the British rule in India in 1909 and was opened in 1911.
During the freedom struggle, prominent freedom fighters like social reformer Pitambar Dev Goswami, former president Fakharuddin Ali Ahmed, former chief minister Gopinath Bordoloi and Bimala Prasad Chaliha, Amiyo Kumar Das, Bijoy Bhagawati, Kamakhya Tripathi etc. were imprisoned in this jail.
Freedom fighters Beja Bauri and Kamala Miri breathed their last inside this jail.
Sarma interacted with the jail authority as well as a few of the jail inmates and took stock of their various grievances.
Later, while talking with media persons, the chief minister said that as per his announcement in this year’s Independence Day speech, the state government will preserve the Jorhat Central Jail as a heritage site after bifurcating the jail land.