Latest news with #Ahoms
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Ahom-Era guerilla warfare training site in Charaideo encroached
1 2 3 4 5 6 Dibrugarh: A historically significant Ahom-era guerrilla warfare training site at Bhojo in the Sonari area of Charaideo district is facing rampant encroachment, raising concerns among archaeologists and local activists. The site, spread over 129 bighas, was once a strategic training ground for Ahom warriors and is dotted with unique earthen mounds and trenches. Despite being declared a protected archaeological site in 2006, lack of fencing and official oversight has led to large-scale encroachment, with portions of the land now being used for vegetable farming. The Ahom kingdom, established by Chaolung Sukapha in 1228, ruled Assam for nearly six centuries until 1826. The Bhojo site served as a crucial training centre for guerrilla warfare tactics, helping the Ahoms resist Mughal invasions. The site features countless man-made earthen mounds, each standing 1.10 to 1.20 metres high and spaced 90-100 cm apart, and trenches used for military drills. Discovered in 2006, the site is among 157 protected monuments under the Directorate of Archaeology, Assam. However, despite its protected status, the site has fallen prey to systematic encroachment over recent months. Locals have illegally occupied vast portions of the historical site, transforming the ancient training grounds into vegetable gardens surrounded by bamboo fencing. Most alarmingly, several of the centuries-old earthen mounds have been deliberately cut down and flattened to create level ground suitable for crop cultivation, permanently destroying irreplaceable archaeological evidence. The gravity of the situation prompted the Tai Ahom Yuba Praishad (TAYPA) to conduct an urgent site inspection on Sunday. Led by president Diganta Tamuly, the delegation expressed serious concerns about the ongoing destruction of the invaluable heritage site. "This is not just simple land encroachment — it's the erasure of history. The Ahoms defended Assam against foreign invasions using these very tactics. To see such a site being destroyed by encroachers is unacceptable. If the govt doesn't act now, this historic site will be lost forever," Tamuly said. He blamed the Directorate of Archaeology for negligence, saying despite the site's protected status, no boundary wall or fencing was erected to prevent encroachment. "For 19 years, this site has been unprotected. Encroachers have taken full advantage. We demand the immediate arrest of those responsible and urgent measures to secure the area. It is disheartening to witness such blatant disregard for our history and heritage," Tamuly added. TAYPA has urged Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to intervene and ensure the site's preservation.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Man held for controversial remarks on Kamakhya temple, Ahoms at poll rally
Guwahati: Amid the arrests for alleged pro-Pakistan remarks on social media in the state since the Pahalgam terror attack, police detained an individual for alleged controversial remarks regarding the Kamakhya temple , the Ahom community , and the great Ahom general Lachit Borphukan during an election rally. The accused, Sukur Ali , who claims to be a politician, was seen making controversial remarks during an election rally for the panchayat polls in Nagaon district in a video circulated on social media. In the video, he was heard making statements about the Kamakhya temple, one of the 51 'shaktipeethas'. He was heard saying that the land of the Kamakhya temple was given by Aurangzeb. "I challenge CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. What have the Ahoms done? Lachit did nothing but only engaged in lobby politics. Everything was done by Mughal kings, not the Ahoms," he was heard saying. He was arrested in a case lodged at Rupahihat police station in Nagaon district. Police said several charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including "promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony," were filed against Ali. Meanwhile, several FIRs were lodged against Sukur Ali in different police stations across the state.
Indian Express
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Held for ‘sedition' over Pahalgam remarks, Assam MLA in eye of many a storm: Who is Aminul Islam?
All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA Aminul Islam, who was arrested by the Assam police Thursday on sedition charges over his controversial remarks on the Pahalgam terror attack, is a three-time MLA who has been at the centre of several controversies in the past. The Assam police's move to arrest Islam along with six others came after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said at a press conference that the administration has 'seen a video where the MLA (Islam) is defending Pakistan and its complicity in the (Pahalgam) attack'. 'I had instructed the police to take action and accordingly, the DGP has informed me that he has been arrested,' Sarma said. AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal has distanced the party from Islam's stance on the Pahalgam attack. 'The comments made by Aminul Islam are unfortunate. This is the time to stand with our government. Terrorists have no religion. These terrorists are maligning Islam,' he said. Multiple rows Islam joined politics following in the footsteps of his father Moulana Khairul Islam Mufti who was an influential minority leader in Assam's Nagaon district. In the 2021 Assembly polls, Islam won the Dhing seat in the Nagaon district with a massive margin of 1.2 lakh over Independent candidate Mahboob Muktar. As per the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), a non-profit that compiles and tracks political data, Islam has been previously charged with a range of cases pertaining to different sections of the criminal codes. These include charges related to sedition, 'deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs' and 'promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language'. In February 2020, Islam stirred a controversy when he said the Miya community, who are the Bengali-speaking Muslims of Assam, were 'more indigenous than the Ahoms in Assam'. This triggered a backlash at the time. Months later, in May 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, he was arrested for posting a controversial video online for his claims about the quarantine centres and medical workers. The FIR then stated that the MLA was 'spreading misinformation amongst a particular community through WhatsApp with a view to create religious discrimination against health workers as well as medical facilities and also indulged in causing smear campaign against the government to malign it.' Through these actions, the FIR said, there was a 'possibility of communal clashes' and that 'the patients suffering from Covid-19 would be afraid of coming forward for treatment'. In the state Assembly too, Islam has been a controversial figure. He was suspended in February 2017 for livestreaming his speech from inside the House on Facebook. On Thursday, Sarma took to X to say that 'Assam will not tolerate any individual who, directly or indirectly, supports or defends Pakistan in connection with the heinous attack in Pahalgam'. The CM went on to declare: 'So far, the following individuals have been arrested by @assampolice for directly or indirectly promoting the cause of Pakistan in Social media. Hailakandi – Md. Jabir Hussain, Silchar – Md. A.K. Bahauddin, Md. Javed Mazumder, Morigaon – Md. Mahahar Mia, Nagaon – Md. Aminul Islam, Sivasagar – Md. Sahil Ali. Further arrests are underway as part of our ongoing crackdown'.
