Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the Swahid Smarak Kshetra on Wednesday (December 10) to honour the martyrs of the Assam Movement on the occasion of Swahid Divas.
“The Swahid Smarak is our solemn tribute to 855 martyrs of Asom Andolan, whose resounding chants of ‘Joi Aai Asom’ echo through time. This monument, a beacon of their legacy, will inspire generations to serve Aai Asomi with pride. Dedicating it to the people on 10th December,” CM Sarma said in a post on X.
The newly inaugurated Swahid Smarak is designed to document the history of the Assam Movement from 1979 to 1985. It features installations illustrating key events and sacrifices, along with spaces dedicated to public gatherings, educational activities, and cultural programmes.
Sarma called the inauguration a historic occasion, coming nearly 45 years after the martyrdom of Swahid Khargeswar Talukdar. “For the first time, the state government is formally honouring the martyrs on such a large scale. This memorial will serve as a lasting tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for Assam,” he said.
The Swahid Diwas is celebrated every year on December 10 to pay tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the Assam movement. The civil disobedience movement was launched by the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AASGP) in 1979 against the infiltrators who entered Assam from Bangladesh.
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The movement ended in 1985 after the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi signed the historic Assam accord that assured the detection of the illegal foreigners and promised to ensure Constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social and linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.
