Will protect rights of indigenous people: CM

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Dec 26: Reiterating that interest of all indigenous people of the state will be protected at any cost, Chief Minister Sarbada Sonowal said that the festivals like Junbil Mela play a crucial role in preserving the indigenous culture and heritage of the state.

Taking part in the closing ceremony of Junbli Mela at Morigaon today, Sonowal said that Tiwa community people are an integral part of the greater Assamese race and they have contributed immensely in enriching the cultural landscape of the state.

Handing out cheques of royal subsistence grant of Rs 60,000 to Gova King Deep Sing Deo Raja and other 17 kings of Tiwa Kingdom, Sonowal said that the payment of these grants would be regularized from now onwards. He also said that following the ideals of Srimanta Sankardeva all communities living in the state must persist with peaceful co-existence in future as well.

Reacting to the long-standing demand of allotting permanent land to the Junbil Mela, Sonowal said a permanent plot of land for the Mela would be allotted so that the historic event can continue to thrive in the future.  Highlighting the age-old barter system of the mela, Sonowal said that the people have a lot to learn from these practices which exemplify the cashless tenets of modern day societies.

Sonowal also announced that a modern auditorium and other infrastructure needed to exploit the tourism potential of Junbil Mela would be built at the venue of Junbil Mela so that event can become an important part of tourism sector of the state.  Referring to forthcoming mami Bramhaputra festival to highlight inherent tural beauty of Bramhaputra river, Sonowal said that from Dhubri to Sadiya the river would be celebrated at different places and Morigaon district can also utilize this opportunity to give impetus to its tourism potential

Dibrugarh MP Rameswar Teli, MLAs of Morigaon and Jagirod Ramakanta Deuri and Pijush Hazarika, CEM of Tiwa Autonomus Council Pawan Manta were present, among others, on the occasion.