India’s history is about standing against tyranny with unprecedented valour and courage but such stories were deliberately suppressed, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, adding that this is being rectified by his government.
“Unfortunately, even after independence we were taught the same history which was written as a conspiracy during the period of slavery. After Independence, it was needed to change the agenda of foreigners who made us slaves, however, that was not done,” the Prime Minister said.
He was addressing the closing ceremony of year-long celebrations of 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan, the general of the Royal Army of the Ahom Kingdom of Assam who defeated Mughals and halted their ever-expanding ambitions under Aurangzeb.
“The history of India is not just about slavery… the history of India is about emerging victorious, it is about the valour of countless greats. There are countless stories of victory over tyranny during the long period of repression. The mistake of not giving those events in the mainstream is being rectified now,” he said.
He said the fact that this event is taking place in Delhi is a reflection of this change. India was not only celebrating its cultural diversity but also acknowledging the unsung heroes and heroines of its history, he said.
“We bow to the valorous Lachit Borphukan on his 400th birth anniversary. He played pivotal role in preserving the culture of Assam.”
The Prime Minister emphasised that when a nation knows its real past, only then it can learn from its experiences and treads the correct direction for its future.
“It is our responsibility that our sense of history is not confined to a few decades and centuries,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that Lachit Borphukan’s life inspires us to rise above self and to give the highest priority to the national interest.
“His life teaches us that instead of nepotism and dynasty, the country should be supreme. No person or relation is above nation.”
Modi released a book — “Lachit Borphukan – Assam’s Hero who Halted the Mughals” — on the occasion. The book narrates the fight of Borphukan against the Mughals as one of the most inspiring military feats of resistance in the history of India.
Assam Governor Jagadish Mukhi, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sharma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, MPs, Justice (Retd) Ranjan Gogoi, Topon Kumar Gogoi and officials of the Assam government were present among others.
