HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Jan 3: Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has called upon the Tiwa population to maintain safe distance from religious conversion to safeguard indigenous culture and identity.
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The chief minister said this while attending the Jungal Balahu Divas celebration and the bhumi pujan ceremony for development of tourist facilities at the Jungal Balahu Rampart at Raha in Nagaon district on Tuesday.
He said that ethnicity “cannot thrive for long if it loses its touch with its cultural roots”.
Addressing a public meeting, Sarma said the medieval era Tiwa ruler Jungal Balahu had made immense contributions towards the socio-economic and spiritual progress of not his community alone but also that of others inhabiting Assam.
“It is important the saga of valour of a leader and ruler as great as Jungal Balahu should spread far and wide,” the chief minister said adding “it is with this aim in mind that the Government of Assam took the decision to develop the area in and around the Jungal Balahu Rampart as a tourist destination with facilities ranging from electric buggy vehicles, floating bridges over the water section, chang ghar, guest house, Tiwa museum, cycle track, conference hall, information centre and cafeteria, among others, at a cost of Rs 50 crore.”
The funding for the same would come from National Bank for Agricultural Development’s Infrastructure development assistance programme, the chief minister said.
He further added that the government shall also take necessary measures to acquire additional 10 bighas of land around the tourist facility so that a park/garden depicting Tiwa culture and identity could be developed.
He also asked the state’s tourism department to look into the possibility of holding a “tourist fare” every year at the Jungal Balahu tourist centre and to host Jungal Balahu Divas in association with the Tiwa socio-cultural organisations.
