GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma flagged off a Delhi-bound train as part of the Amrit Kalash Yatra from the Guwahati Railway Station carrying as many as 270 urns (kalash) carrying soils collected from every development block and municipal areas of the state today.
The urns, along with the entourage of youths accompanying them, are scheduled to arrive in New Delhi tomorrow. In the national capital, these urns would be safely kept on the premises of Assam House. Speaking to media persons present at Guwahati Railway Stations today, Chief Minister Sarma said on October 31, the soils being sent from Assam in urns shall be mixed with soils from across the country in the presence of Prime Minister Naredra Modi, and these soils would be utilised in the construction of the "Amrit Vatika" in New Delhi. The soil in the other 270 urns that are being kept in Assam shall be utilised during the construction of the proposed university at Gohpur, to be named after martyred freedom fighter Kanaklata Barua, he said. Chief Minister Sarma also expressed his gratitude towards the people of Assam for their cooperation and support towards the Meri Maati, Mera Desh campaign.
During the flag-off ceremony, Member of Assam Legislative Assembly Paramananda Rajbangshi, Guwahati Mayor Mrigen Sarania, Chief Secretary Paban Kumar Borthakur, and Director General of Police G.P. Singh, along with a host of other dignitaries, were also present, a press release said.
Minister for Cultural Affairs, Bimal Borah, and senior officials will receive those accompanying the urns at the New Delhi Railway Station. A total of six coaches have been wrapped with banners of the Amrit Kalash Yatra.
Plans are on the anvil to take out a colourful cultural procession with soil from 35 districts of Assam to a place near the National War Memorial, where an Amrit Vatika will be developed. This garden will act as a shared heritage, with soil and saplings from every corner of the country.
To make the programme hassle-free and smooth, senior officials of the Cultural Affairs Department, Government of Assam, discussed matters threadbare at a meeting with representatives of various Assam-based organisations from Delhi-NCR at the conference hall of Assam House here on Thursday evening.
The meeting, presided over by Secretary, Cultural Affairs Department, Monidipa Borkataky, chalked out a slew of plans, including pick-up points at JNU, Sankardev Bhawan, Dwarka Sector 12, DU, Assam House, and Faridabad for people of the state residing in Delhi-NCR. Around 250 people from Delhi-NCR are expected to participate in the event. Each group will be accompanied by a team leader. A WhatsApp group has been created to ensure the smooth conduct of the programme.
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