A War Memorial in memory of the brave hearts who laid down their lives for safeguarding the nation has been unveiled by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on the northern bank of historic Dighalipukhuri here.
Paying tribute to the brave hearts who laid down their lives for safeguarding the territorial integrity of the nation, the Chief Minister last evening said the War Memorial built to perpetuate their hallowed memory would inspire and motivate the young generation to make sacrifices for the sake of the motherland.
Lauding the Rajya Sainik Board for taking the initiative to build the War Memorial, Sonowal said, "Dighalipukhuri's history dates back to ancient times of King Bhagadatta and also Ahom general Lachit Borphukan who fought against the Mughals from here".
"The coming up of the War Memorial will not only add beauty to the important historic spot but also remind us of the supreme sacrifices made by the Army jawans to defend the unity and territorial integrity of our nation," he said.
Stating the government would take further steps for beautification of Dighalipukhuri tank, he appealed to the teachers and students of nearby Cotton College and Handique Girls' College to keep the surroundings in and around the historic place neat and clean.
"Inspired by Mahatma Gandhiji, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spearheaded the Swaach Bharat Abhiyan across the country. Against this backdrop it is our bounden duty to keep the historic Dighalipukhuri tank neat and clean and the City of Guwahati as a whole," he added.
Calling upon all sections of people to live in peaceful co-existence and to work in tandem for progress and development, Sonowal said, "In the spirit of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, let us all work unitedly to make Assam a powerful and ideal state of the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Commodore K C Choudhury (retd) Director Sainik Welfare Board, Assam said Dighalipukhuri has become a 'temple of martyrs' with the coming up of the memorial and the memorial would have the evocative epitaph of Kohima War Memorial 'When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today.
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The illuminated War Memorial has a boat depicting a life-size statue of Ahom general Lachit Borphukan in full battle gear, leading his soldiers against the Mughals and an Amar Jawan Jyoti with the rifle and a helmet on top.
A uniformed soldier with a rifle paying homage to the martyrs adorns the memorial which houses relief panels and murals depicting historic scenes from pre and post-Independence era.
The upper portion of the Rs 7.50 crore memorial has a park with well-designed lawns, decorative trees, flower beds with a 43-ton Vijayanta tank of 1971 Indo-Pak War and an MiG-27 fighter used in Kargil conflict and Operation Parakram adding grandeur to it.
