Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha raises concern about the condition of Malegarh War Memorial in Assembly

The Assam Legislative Assembly has held a one-day Special Assembly Session today after 76th Independence Day and Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The session started today at three in the afternoon with Speaker Biswajit Daimary in the chair. This special session of the assembly has been summoned by Assam Governor, Jagdish Mukhi. The session started with Finance Minister Ajanta Neog’s address followed by different elected members of the Vidhan Sabha. Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, the MLA of Karimganj North also addressed the house and highlighted the neglected condition of the Malegarh War Memorial.

During the Sepoy Mutiny or the First War of Independence, the Indian Sepoys employed by the British Government revolted against the oppression and Karimganj also became a part of this historic revolt. Speaking about Malegarh War Memorial, the Congress MLA said, “The Indian Sepoys from Chattagram looted the British armoury and escaped via Comilla to reach Tripura. When they didn’t find protection from the ruler of Tripura, they returned to loot the treasury as they didn’t have any money to fight against the British. Unfortunately, they got stuck at Malegarh and fought with the British. In that war with the British, 26 of our Indian Sepoys were martyred. But they have also killed a British Army Major and this was the first such killing of an important British officer in the entire North East”.

The opposition MLA also said about the present condition of the war memorial there and said, “In such a place where 26 Indians died fighting for the country, it should be given more importance. During the tenure of Rockybull Hussain as the Tourism Minister, a fund was granted, but it deserves more importance. This place is connected to the 26 lives and their great sacrifice”. Malegarh War Memorial is located some 14 kilometres from Karimganj town and has a war memorial built above the hillock, which is also known as Rontilla (literally translated to war-hillock). You can read more about Malegarh and the Sepoy Mutiny there from a previous article published here.

MLA Purkayastha also talked about the Har Ghar Tiranga scheme of the government and said, “Hoisting the tiranga and displaying the flag is our duty and a matter of pride, even though we had to pay 18 rupees for it and even though the Kashmir Files (movie by Vivek Agnihotri) was made tax free (in Assam, along with several BJP majority states)”. His address was interrupted by BJP MLA and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pijush Hazarika, but he went on to say that, just hoisting the National flag and singing patriotic songs won’t make us patriotic, doing one’s duties rightfully might.