Guwahati, May 22 (IANS). Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee was a ‘true well-wisher’ of Assam. He said that during the difficult period before the independence of the country, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee strengthened the morale of the people of Assam and strongly opposed the controversial grouping plan of that time, which had created uncertainty about the future of the state.
Chief Minister Sarma was addressing the inauguration ceremony of a new flyover named after Syama Prasad Mukherjee in Guwahati. During this, he paid tribute to the nationalist leader and said that his contribution in the most important period of the political history of Assam will always be remembered.
Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “Syama Prasad Mukherjee’s political career was an epitome of ideals, patriotism, moral courage and unwavering dedication to the national interest. At the most difficult times of Assam’s political journey, he stood firmly with the Assamese people and provided moral support to the popular Gopinath Bordoloi.”
The Chief Minister said that tension had increased in Assam during 1940-41 when the Assam Provincial Muslim League adopted the Pakistan Resolution. At that time, there was an atmosphere of fear and confusion among the people regarding the future of the state.
Sarma said that in such a sensitive time, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee came to Assam and appealed to the people not to lose hope. His speeches and political interventions boosted public confidence and inspired Assamese leaders to continue the struggle against the Grouping Plan during the partition period.
The Chief Minister also mentioned the contribution of the Mukherjee family in the field of education and culture. He said that both Ashutosh Mukherjee and Syama Prasad Mukherjee played important roles in promoting Assamese language and higher education.
He told that Ashutosh Mukherjee encouraged the study of Assamese literature in Calcutta University and supported the scholars of Assam. Due to the efforts of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Assamese medium education up to matriculation level was promoted and institutions like JB College got recognition from Calcutta University.
The Chief Minister said that Shyama Prasad Mukherjee understood the distinct cultural and intellectual identity of Assam. He believed that Assam could become a major center of research in subjects like languages, anthropology, geology, botany and forestry.
During this, the new flyover built from Cycle Factory Junction on Guwahati-Darbhanga Road to Lalganesh was also inaugurated. Built at a cost of Rs 376 crore, this flyover was completed in 26 months before the stipulated deadline of 30 months. This will ease the traffic in the south-western part of Guwahati and is expected to reduce the vehicular pressure on National Highway-27 from Arya Nagar to Lakhra.
–IANS
VKU/DSC
