Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal speaks at Assam Day celebrations in Delhi
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal participated in Assam Day celebrations today in the national capital, where he and several scholars highlighted the role of the Ahom King Sukapha, or the Great Unifier, the Press Information Bureau said in a statement.
"Swargadeo Saulung Sukapha's vision to build a greater Assamese society has given us the opportunity to represent Assam in the national and global stage," Mr Sonowal said.
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice Chancellor Shantishree Dhulipudi Pandit, academician Kapil Kapoor, JNU Special Centre for Study of Northeast India chairman Vinay Kumar Rao and historian Hindol Sengupta gave lectures at the event.
"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," said Mr Sonowal, who was Assam Chief Minister before his BJP colleague Himanta Biswa Sarma took over.
"...Under his stewardship, the Assamese society worked to become atmanirbhar (self-reliant) as it started manufacturing various weapons, tools, goods that made the society an invincible military power. This strategic genius empowered us to regularly thwart any foreign invasion including the multiple ones by the Mughals," Mr Sonowal said.
"The vision and value system that the great Swargadeo Sukapha ingrained while building the greater Assamese society still helps us - the Assamese society - to represent our society and Assam at the national as well as international stage with great pride," he said.