Assam BJP pushes for elevation of Ahom general, a la Shivaji

The BJP government in Assam is pushing hard to spread the accounts of Lachit Borphukan—the celebrated general of the Ahom Dynasty (1228-1826)—who had fought and defeated the Mughals in the famous Battle of Saraighat in 1671 near Guwahati, on the lines of Chhatrapati Shivaji's tales of valour and victory.

From a project to erect a 150-feet tall bronze statue to reconstructing a memorial at Nara Hilodari in Assam's tea hub—Jorhat (where he was buried)—to celebrating his 400th birth anniversary in New Delhi on November 23 and 24, the government is pressing hard to make Borphukan a household name.

"The aggressive Mughals could not defeat only two heroes in India—Shivaji and Lachit Borpukan. Shivaji's courage and war expertise are world-famous, but unfortunately, Lachit Borphukan, who also defeated the Mughals, has not yet received the respect he deserves. The state government has now taken elaborate measures to establish the story of Borphukan at the national level," Assam's Information Minister Pijush Hazarika said.

Hazarika is one of the ministers looking after the arrangements to celebrate Borphukan's 400th birth anniversary in New Delhi. The year-long celebration was inaugurated in February this year in Guwahati by then-President Ram Nath Kovind. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are among the prominent persons likely to attend the celebrations.

Although Lachit Borphukan is often celebrated in Assam, BJP has, over the years, tried to project the Ahom general as a symbol of Assamese nationalism and their fight against foreigners (Bangladeshi migrants).

During poll campaigning, BJP leaders (including the chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma) said the party would defeat the "parties favouring Bangladeshis" (Congress and AIUDF) in the elections the way Borphukan had defeated the Mughals.

However, Youth Congress leader in Assam, Mumtaz Begum, believes that the Sarma government is pushing the Borphukan's story more to counter the anger BJP would face against the CAA again in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls in 2024.