Patkai Trekkers' Aims to Bring Malegarh near Karimganj-Bangladesh Border on Tourism Map

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR: Patkai Trekkers, NGO focused on the preservation of historic sites and relics, has made relentless efforts to bring the historic Malegarh at Latu in Karimganj-Bangladesh border on the tourist map of the northeast. To push forward their noble mission, a memorandum signed by Arup Roy, Coordinator, Patkai Trekkers was submitted to Deputy Commissioner of Karimganj, Khageswar Pegu, on Monday with 3 point demands to remove the encroachers and demarcate the land for tourist lodge and initiate its construction for which Rs 47 lakh has been sanctioned by the State government in the first phase.

Patkai Trekkers is grateful to Himanta Biswa Sarma who as Minister of Tourism in the Sarbananda Sonowal government took keen interest in the development of Malegarh after being briefed about its historic importance and being the first scene of battle for Independence in northeast in 1857. Arup Roy said Himanta Biswa Sarma gave words and kept it. The significance and importance of Malegarh is not known to many.

It was here where the 26 brave soldiers of the British army mutineers lay 'unsung, unheard and un-honored.' About 200 mutineers broke away from Chittagong barracks, looted the armory, moved through hilly terrain to trek through Tripura, and finally at Malegarh, Latu, had their first encounter with the British army. The mutineers fought bravely and in this battle, Major Byng of the British army along with 6 soldiers was killed. More reinforcements came to hit back at the mutineers, 26 of them lay dead. They were laid to rest at Malegarh. The day was December 18, 1857.

Patkai Trekkers sought the help and cooperation of BSF for the development of Malegarh as a tourist resort. BSF has assured all logistic support. On Sunday, 07 Battalion Adjutant S K Upadhyay along with Deputy Commandant, Raghuraj Singh, Sutarkandi BOP Company Commander B P Singh, and Latu Post Commander D K Das visited the site of the construction of tourist lodge. According to BSF source, Inspector General of Cachar-Mizoram Frontier Force, Dinesh Bora, is visiting Malegarh on June 29 to have preliminary information and how best his Force can act as a catalyst. Besides Arup Roy, chief convener, Syed Mujib Ahmed, organizing secretary, Sudip Das, M M Jahir Abbas, and BJP district president, Subrata Bhattacharjee were present at the site.

Caption::Members of NGO Patkai Trekkers and BSF officials visiting the site of the proposed Tourist Lodge at Malegarh on Sunday. (Sentinel)

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