Chief ministers of other states have vague idea about Bir Lachit Borphukan who defeated Mughals: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that based on the book on Bir Lachit Borphukan written by Arup Dutta in English will be now translated into 24 regional languages.

Further, Himanta Biswa Sarma also said that the translation of the book will be carried out by India's 24 Sahitya Akademi Award-winning persons.

"By the end of this financial year (April-May) we will be able to publish a book on Bir Lachit Borphukan in 24 regional languages," said CM Sarma.

Addressing the media, CM Sarma said, "During the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan when we wrote letters to respective state heads to include a chapter on him in the school textbooks, it was found that the chief ministers of other states had a vague idea of Lachit Barphukan who defeated Mughals."

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Further CM Sarma asserted that the chief minister of other states had no idea in what context Bir Lachit Borphukan defeated the Mughals in the Sariaghat war and how he managed to keep the Mughals out of Assam for a certain period was unknown to the people of India.

Himanta Biswa Sarma also claimed that there were only four people in India who fought bravely against the Mughal and defeated them, however, only a few know about Bir Lachit Borphukan because not many textbooks or literature was written in other languages even after 75 years of Independence.

Sarma said that only four persons were Chhatrapati Shivaji, Durga Das Rathore, Guru Govind Singh and Bir Lachit Borphukan.

"Apart from Chhatrapati Shivaji and Guru Govind Singh no one knows about Durga Das Rathore or Bir Lachit Borphukan outside its respective states...even Assam's closest neighbour Siliguri does not know anything about Lachit Borphukan," Sarma added.

Sarma also added that the state government have asked the publication department to come up with books on Lachit Borphukan in other regional languages.

"We can write a lot in English and Hindi but till people are not able to read in Gujarati, Bengali or Marathi or any other regional language then we cannot appeal to the people about Lachit Borphukan," said CM Sarma.