Sarbananda Sonowal dedicates ministerial position to Assam Movement martyrs

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, on December 10 paid tribute to the martyrs of the Assam Movement, dedicating his ministerial position to their sacrifice. He remarked, "It is only due to their sacrifices today that I have become a minister."

Speaking to ANI, Sonowal said, "From 1979 to 1985, Assamese people fought against infiltrators... I pay my tributes to all those who sacrificed their lives for their country in the Assam movement. It is only due to their sacrifices today that I have become a minister. We have to take forward the fight against these foreign infiltration into the country. We want India to always be secured. Today, Assam has emerged as an important centre in the Northeast." 

Taking to his official X handle, Sonowal wrote in a post that the Assam movement was a significant struggle for the protection of the Assamese identity.

"The Assam Movement was a significant struggle for protection of the Assamese identity and an important part of India's modern history. On the martyrdom day of the first martyr of the Movement, Khargeswar Talukdar, I pay my solemn tributes to all the martyrs. Their sacrifice is our inspiration," the post read. 

The Swahid Diwas is celebrated every year on December 10 to pay tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the Assam movement. 

Paid tributes to the martyrs of the historic Assam Movement on the auspicious occasion of #SwahidDiwas in New Delhi along with MPs Shri @Rameswar_Teli and Shri @PradanBaruah.

May their saga of sacrifice always remain immortal. pic.twitter.com/MB9tFKY7dA

— Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) December 10, 2024

The civil disobedience movement was launched by the Assam Students Union (ASU) and All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AASGP) in 1979 against the infiltrators who entered Assam from Bangladesh. 

The movement ended in 1985 after the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi signed the historic Assam accord that assured the detection of the illegal foreigners and promised to ensure Constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to protect, preserve and promote cultural, social and linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa also took to social media X and said that the Assam government was building the Swahid Smarak Ksehtra to honour the martyrs.

"To protect the honour of Aai Asomi, thousands of people came out on the streets between 1979 and 1985 and voiced their strong dissent when the then Cong Govt decided to mercilessly fire upon Veers and Veeranganas of the Asom Andolan. On this fateful day in 1979, Swahid Khargeswar Talukdar became the first martyr of the Asom Andolan giving his life towards the cause of the motherland. Our Govt is building the Swahid Smarak Kshetra in Guwahati to honour all the martyrs and remember their supreme sacrifice," the post read.