Letters to the Editor: Seat-sharing

After extensive internal consultations, the Congress has begun seat-sharing talks in some states with like-minded parties of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. However, there will be much negotiation and a difference of opinions in seat-sharing, but Congress should prefer more seats to regional parties because Congress lost by not sharing seats in recent assembly elections. Therefore, in this view, it will be better for the INDIA bloc; otherwise, parties may be divided into factions.

TKR. Noori

Guwahati

Chilarai Diwas

Chilarai, or Shukladhwaja Rai, was the third son of Biswa Singha, founder of the Koch dynasty in the erstwhile Kamata kingdom and younger brother of Naranarayana, the second king of Koch kingdom in the 16th century. He was Naranarayana’s commander-in-chief of the Koch Kingdom. It was only due to his royal patronage that Sankardeva could establish the Ekasaran Harinam dharma in Assam and bring about his cultural renaissance. Several rulers, namely the then king of Manipur and the Khasi tribal chief (Viryavanta), submitted to Chilarai. Chilarai and his army also vanquished and killed the Jaintia king and the kings of Tippera (Tripura) and Sylhet (Bangladesh). Chilarai is said to have never committed brutalities against unarmed common people, and even those kings who surrendered were treated with respect. He was harsh to the king and soldiers who surrendered, but neither he nor his brother were annexed. Chilarai was earlier named Shukladhwaja Rai, but he was named Chilarai because he was very good at fighting, and he would fight like a sila or kite. There was also a new method of fighting used by Chilarai during wartime, which was called blitzkrieg. The kingdom of Chilarai comprised entire Assam, covering upper to lower Assam, and the period of Chilarai was divided into three parts: ancient, mediaeval, and modern.

The government of Assam has also started to celebrate the Chilarai Diwas annually since 2015 and declared it a state holiday. The government has also decided to give the Chilarai award to people with outstanding performances in various fields. The award includes a citation, a cheleng chador, a memento, and a cheque for Rs 1 lakh.

Manish Kashyap

B Borooah College, Guwahati