Birth centenary celebration of Mahitosh Purkayastha in Silchar

Bronze statue of freedom fighter to be installed

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR: The name of great freedom fighter and revolutionary Mahitosh Purkayastha may not be known to many of the present generation of youths. He is almost a forgotten person. Almost 30 years have passed, nothing has been done either to commemorate him or relive his life and achievements. On his birth centenary, a committee consisting of intellectuals christened as 'Mahitosh Purkayastha Smriti Raksha Samiti' has decided to bring out two books, one containing write-ups by the great revolutionary and the other enriched with contributions of well known persons.

Briefing mediapersons, Partha Pratim Das, a social activist and admirer of Purkayastha, said the contributors to the second book are from Brahmaputra Valley, Kolkata, New Delhi and Mumbai, apart from Barak Valley. The eminent persons contributing to the second volume from Brahmaputra valley are Nagen Saikia, Hiren Gohain, Jyoti Prasad Saikia, Kanaksen Deka, Sukumar Bagchi, Bhaskar Barua , Amal Raha, Debabrata Sarma, Bireshwar Das, Homen Borgohain among others. In all, 130 articles have enriched the book.

A full size bronze statue of the great freedom fighter would also be installed at an appropriate place of Silchar. The statue is under active preparation at Shantiniketan and Prof Bidhu Bhushan Dutta of Shillong has been looking after that, informed Ramapada Bhattacharjee, a member of Mahitosh Purkayastha Smriti Raksha Samiti. The books will be released at a function here once the spectre of COVID-19 goes off and restrictions are lifted. The installation of statue too depends on return of normalcy.

Mahitosh Purkayastha who was born at Bagbari village on July 29, 1919 near Karimganj and received primary education at a local school. He could not pursue higher education as he jumped into freedom movement just at the age of 14. For challenging the British autocratic regime, he was jailed three times, kept under house arrest and banished from Cachar. But, that could not subdue his spirit. Ultimately, for their supreme sacrifice the country attained freedom.

In the post Independent period, Purkayastha was the chairman of Silchar Municipal Board, elected MLA to become a minister in Sarat Chandra Sinha Cabinet and thereafter became MP (Rajya Sabha). He did not have any house and was sheltered at the residence of his elder sister at Silchar. He had nothing to boast of except a 12"X12" cottage with a cot to sleep, wooden chairs, steel almirahs stacked with books and files. He left behind a bank balance of Rs 800 plus when he died in 1993. His life was a life of dedication to society and the country. Today's politicians have lot to learn from him.

Also Read: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma meets delegation of freedom fighters in Janata Bhavan

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