HT Correspondent
JORHAT, Sept 11: A function was held to pay tributes and felicitate the family members of Lakhyeswar Baruah, who along with his associates declared the Charigaon mouza on the outskirts here in August 1942, as an independent sovereign republic.
It may be mentioned that Baruah, who proclaimed himself as the first “Rashtrapati” of Charigaon and formed his own council of ministers, in a public meeting in the area on August 23, 1942
The function was organised by Shewa, a Jorhat based socio- ecological and health welfare voluntary organisation, at the Reba Kanta Baruah Public High School at Kenduguri here.
The programme inaugurated by retired Assam Government secretary Indrajit Kumar Barua, was presided over by executive president of Jorhat Zila Mukti Jujaru Sanmilan, Girish Bordoloi.
The key speaker, Dr Saumitra Puzari, head of the History department, Jorhat College (Amalgamated) spoke about Baruah and his associates as unsung heroes during the freedom movement.
ADC Damodar also addressed the gathering and released a book by Swapnali Bora Hazarika.
Earlier, Shewa president Heman Kumar Saikia delivered the welcome address while secretary Rajiv Kumar Nazir anchored the programme.
Principal secretary Pranabjyoti stated about the objective of the programme.
Lakhyeswar Baruah’s council of ministers comprised Golap Dutta as Education minister, Jagat Chandra Saikia as Home minister, Krishna Prasad Dutta as Cooperatives and Handicrafts minister, Devi Charan Borbara as Defence minister, Jogeswar Bordoloi as Revenue minister, and Sonaram Saikia as PWD minister.
