GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that the proposed Dr Bhupen Hazarika Samannay Kshetra to be built at Zero Point at Saikhowa beside the Dhola-Sadiya bridge in Tinsukia district of Assam should showcase the harmonious co-existence of different communities along with their traditional and the cultural heritage for strengthening a rich cultural bond of the State.
Chairing a meeting to discuss on the modalities for the Samannay Kshetra as per the budgetary promise of the State government here on Thursday, Chief Minister Sonowal said that the proposed project would reflect the legendary singer’s lifelong tireless efforts for promoting communal amity, universal brotherhood, humanity and universal justice.
Sonowal also said that the whole objective behind conceiving of the whole idea of constructing the Samannay Kshetra is to showcase different aspects of traditions, cultural heritage, and life style of all the communities of Assam in an attractive and lucid way. Sonowal also advocated for making a dedicated managing society incorporating representatives and experts from all the ethnic communities of Assam so that the proposed project becomes a miniature Assam.
The Samannay Kshetra that will be built on a sprawling 400 bighas of land will have a statue of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika at the main gate and a series of murals on the culture of various communities of Assam dotted throughout the project. A series of typical village of different community will be created and visitors will move through that to give the taste of real Assam. Moreover, traditional dwelling houses of different communities will be constructed along with recreated streetscapes. The lifestyle of the communities that lived in these houses will be exhibited in each house with original and fabricated artefacts and utensils. Real life sculpture will be used to display life style. Within the huts, traditional and religious activities will be displayed with life size models and simulated artefacts.
Sonowal asked concerned authority to keep the central portion of the project as an open ground where different social and cultural activities, fairs may be organised. He also asked the Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department of the state to make the proposed Samannay Kshetra a cultural hot spot and a centre of tourism potential so that people across the world come and visit the site and return mesmerised.
Facilities like a destination for books and journals, Assamese arts, crafts, performance, anthropology and folklore, galleries, open air theatre, entertainment zone and children’s play area, art gallery, conference cum seminar room, state of the art auditorium and more will feature on the project.