Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Ayush, paid tribute to Swargadeo Saulung Sukapha on the occasion of Asom Divas and attended a thought-provoking meeting at his official residence in New Delhi on Friday.
“Today on the pious occasion of Assam Day, we pay our sincere homage to the great unifier and the founder of the great Ahom dynasty in Assam, Swargadeo Saulung Sukapha. The priceless contribution of this great soul to unify the various communities to build the greater Assamese society remains the cornerstone of our identity.” Sarbananda Sonowal said, setting the context for the top of the line discussion on the role of Assam and Northeast.
“The vision and value system that the great Swargadeo Sukapha ingrained while building the greater Assamese society still helps the Assamese society to represent our society and Assam at the national as well as International stage with great pride,” the union minister further said.
Prof. Shantishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), emphasised India’s forgotten dynasties that greatly contributed to the nation’s protection and enrichment. She mentioned the Ahoms, Cholas, Mauryas, and others.
Prof. Kapil Kapoor discussed the great Ahoms and how it protected the entire Northeast region from brutal invasions. Prof Kapoor also discussed the ancient historical ties that the people of the Northeast had with the people of central India. He cited the Mahabharata and other important treaties as witnesses to the North-East Kings’ Pan-Indian approach.
Prof Vinay Kumar Rao, chairman of the Special Centre for Study of Northeast India, spoke about the Ahom kingdom’s journey. He discussed the role of the Ahom dynasty in shaping Assam’s current cultural and geographical shape. Prof Rao also emphasised the significance of preserving the monuments that represent the glory years of the Ahom kingdom.
Hindol Sengupta, a leading intellectual and eminent historian, focused on the distortion of Indian history, from which many names of brave warriors of India, including the Ahoms, were erased in order to colonise Indian minds.
Intellectuals and thought leaders from various streams attended the thought-provoking meet, including Professors, Heads of Departments from various faculties of JNU as well as Delhi University; intellectuals from leading think tanks; academicians, technocrats, and senior bureaucrats from the Assamese society based in Delhi NCR, representatives from Assam Association Delhi (AAD), Assam Association Gurgaon (AAG), and Assam Association Noida, among others.