GUWAHATI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah and senior BJP leader today launched Rs 188 crore development project for Batadrava Satra (vaishnavite monastery), the birth place of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardva, the 15th century religious and social reformer who established the popular neo-vaishnavite cult in the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam.
Addressing a massive public meeting at Amingaon here Shah launched a scathing attack on Congress party which ruled Assam for most of the yeas since Independence, for doing nothing to develop the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardeva but for whose contribution Assamese language and culture would not have been as advanced as it is today.
“Congress didn’t do anything for the birthplace of Sankardeva whose contributions was instrumental in earning recognition to Assam’s history, literature (including unique one-act plays), arts and poetry. But BJP is committed to bolster language, culture, arts of the state,” Shah said.
“BJP believes that India cannot achieve greatness until the culture and language of states are strengthened. India’s culture and art are incomplete without Assamese culture and art,” said the union home minister reiterating the BJP government’s commitment towards further development of Assamese language, art and culture in the greater national interests of national integration.
Addressing the public meeting in the presence of Amit Shah at Amingaon, Assam’s health, finance and education minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that BJP-led government it Assam has succeeded in evicting suspected illegal migrants from Batadrava.
After evicting the illegal settlers, the state government has aimed at developing Batadrava Satra into a vibrant cultural, religious and tourism destination on the lines of the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
“Batadrava Satra which is associated with the life of Srimanta Sankardeva will be developed in the lines of Golden Temple of Amritsar. Rs. 180 crores have been sanctioned for this project,” said Dr. Sarma.
The minister further said that protection land and culture of indigenous people in the state has remained a priority for the BJP-led government in the state.
The BJP is focused on luring all the indigenous communities of the state before the next Assembly election in Assam early next year to counter opposition Congress and AIUDF’s strategy focused on the vote bank amid religious minority community voters having root in Bangladesh.