Rupam Barua, Jagadindra Raychoudhury, Nava Thakuria, Pramod Kalita, Girindra karji, Anup Sarma

PPFA bats for early completion of Guwahati War Memorial By Our Correspondent Guwahati, 5 January 2015: Patriotic People’s Front Assam (PPFA) in northeast India has urged the Assam government to complete the construction of proposed war memorial on the northern bank of Dighalipukhuri in the city at the earliest.  The forum, while supporting the arguments of All Assam Ex-Servicemen Association that ‘the project would in no way distort the heritage appeal, aesthetic beauty and ecological sanctity of the historic water-body’ also appealed to the section of citizens, who are opposing the endeavour, not to hinder on its earliest completion.

It may be mentioned that a citizens’ body, led by noted academician Dr Hiren Gohain, had opposed the project arguing that the concrete structure has violated ‘norms concerning preservation of heritage/historical sites and water-bodies, besides impacting the tank’s ecology adversely’.

However, Col (retired) Rabin Das, who is the secretary of the ex-servicemen association, commented, It’s unfortunate that some citizens have raised objections to the construction of the proposed war memorial at the portion of the land which had been lying absolutely disused with a dilapidated Assam-type house.”

Das pointed out that the war memorial is being constructed on the available vacant land in the northern bank of Dighalipukhuri and that it is no way over the water-body to disturb the aquatic animals and ecology of the historic pond.

Das, further pointed out that the proposed war memorial would comprise the statues of Mohabir Lachit Barphukan with other soldiers in the Battle of Saraighat,  an Amar Jawan Jyoti reverse rifle with a helmet on top, an uniformed soldier with his rifle reverse arm salute and also relevant murals depicting various battles of post & pre-independent India.

The PPFA, in a statement issued today, reiterated that a war memorial in the city was a long standing demand from the patriotic people of the alienated region and hence the project must not get suffered at the final stage of construction. The forum also urged the political parties and civil society groups to avoid using the southern bank of Dighalipukhuri as their frequent protest-demonstration venue.