Taking examples from the life of Lachit Borphukan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that “no person or relation is above nation” and his life inspires us to live the mantra of “Nation First” instead of nepotism and dynasty.
He made the remark while addressing the closing ceremony of the year-long celebrations of the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan in New Delhi today. The Prime Minister also released the book – ‘Lachit Borphukan – Assam’s Hero who Halted the Mughals’ on the occasion.
In line with the Prime Minister’s vision to honour the unsung heroes in a befitting manner, today’s occasion is celebrated to honour the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan, the famous General of the Royal Army of the Ahom Kingdom of Assam who defeated the Mughals and successfully halted the ever-expanding ambitions of the Mughals under Aurangzeb.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister started with expressing his regard for the land of Assam which gave brave sons like Veer Lachit. “We bow to the valorous Lachit Borphukan on his 400th birth anniversary. He played a pivotal role in preserving the culture of Assam”, he said.
The Prime Minister said, “India is celebrating the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan at a time when the country is marking ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.”
Terming Veer Lachit’s exploits a glorious chapter of the history of Assam, the Prime Minister said, “I salute this great tradition on the occasion of the festival of India’s eternal culture, eternal valour and eternal existence.”
The Prime Minister reiterated India’s mood to get rid of the mentality of slavery and take pride in its heritage. India is not only celebrating its cultural diversity but also acknowledging the unsung heroes and heroines of its history.
“Immortal sons of Maa Bharati like Lachit Borphukan are the inspiration for fulfilling the resolutions of the Amrit Kaal. They make us familiar with the identity and glory of our history and also spur us to dedicate ourselves to the nation,” the Prime Minister added.
“In the thousand-year-old history of human existence”, the Prime Minister remarked that there were numerous civilisations that walked the earth, many that seemed imperishable, but it was the wheel of time that brought them down to their knees.
Pointing out the differences between other civilizations and India, Prime Minister said that the world today assesses history based on the remains of such civilisations, but India which faced unexpected adversities in history and withstanding the unimaginable terror of foreign invaders still stands immortal with the same energy and consciousness.
“This happened because of the fact that whenever there was a crisis, some personality emerged to tackle that. In the epoch, saints and scholars came to protect the spiritual and cultural identity of India.
Bravehearts like Lachit Borphukan showed that forces of fanaticism and terror perish but the immortal light of Indian life remains eternal,” the Prime Minister emphasised.
