‘Cultural identity of Assam, SE Asia intact as Ahoms stopped Mughals’

GUWAHATI: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, pushing for Ahom kingdom’s greatest general Lachit Barphukan’s due place in history alongside Chhatrapati Shivaji and the likes, said the cultural identity of Assam and the entire SE Asia has remained intact because the Ahoms stopped the Mughals.
For the first time, Assam is taking the legacy of the Ahom kingdom, whose reign of 610 years (1228-1838) has so far remained unknown to the country’s population, outside the northeast by chosing New Delhi to celebrate the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Barphukan, who had handed out Aurangzeb’s army the most humiliating defeat in the 17th century.
The three-day function at Vigyan Bhawan was opened by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday. Union Home minister Amit Shah will participate in the celebration on Thursday and PM Narendra Modi will attend the valedictory function on Friday.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Sarma said the saga of courage, patriotism and sacrifice displayed by Lachit Barphukan is undoubtedly one of the most glorious chapters of Indian history.
“It was Lachit’s leadership and generalship in the Battle of Saraighat in 1671 that ensured the continuation of the Ahom rule, which in turn led to the preservation of indigenous Assamese identity and culture,” Sarma said.