Guwahati, Nov 24: A panel discussion on the “ignored historiography of Assam’s assertion’ was organised, as part of the 400th birth anniversary celebration of Ahom army general Lachit Barphukan, in New Delhi on Thursday.
The discussion focused mainly on the negligence suffered by Northeast and other areas away from Delhi in the so-called mainstream history or historiography of India.
One of the panelists and eminent author Vikram Sampath deliberated on the apathy regions such as Assam and the Northeast or South India have had to deal with in the so-called mainstream historiography of India.
Substantiating his view, he said that in India, young generations grow with the stories of Bakhtiyar Khilji’s military expeditions but are unaware of his humiliating defeat in Kamrupa in the hands of King Prithu.
He also referred to the indomitable spirit of Ahoms in Alamgirnama, an important Mughal historical document.
The moderator of the panel discussion was Nani Gopal Mahanta, the education advisor of the Assam government.
Another panelist, Sangita Gogoi, who is an associate professor of Mangaldai College, spoke at length on the tradition of history writing and other socio-cultural superiority of the Ahoms compared to other societies of their contemporary India.
Sharing his views, actor and filmmaker Chandraprakash Dwivedi said Barphukan ascended to Dolakaxoria Barua, Ghorabaruah and then to Barphukan with the duty of driving away the invading Mughals from the western frontier of their sacred homeland.
“There are many stories like Lachit in India which are still to be told through books, films and other popular culture,” he added.
Rajib Handique, a professor at Gauhati University, in his speech talked about several sons of Assam who deserve special mention for their contributions but are still ignored in Indian historiography to a large extent.
“The distance of Assam and Northeast from Delhi may be one of the reasons for such negligence,” he added, while appreciating Suryya Kumar Bhuyan’s efforts in bringing Lachit Barphukan’s life and work to the forefront with his monumental work on the Ahom general.
Filmmaker and critic Rajesh Kumar Singh spoke at length about organisational skills of the Ahoms where the common people were ever ready to participate in a battle as soldiers whenever there was a need.