Excitement among people as Charaideo Maidams meet technical requirements for World Heritage Site status

 OUR CORRESPONDENT

SIVASAGAR: The intellectual community, including various organizations of undivided Sivasagar district, is excited that the nomination of the historic Charaideo Maidams met all the technical requirements as per UNESCO Secretariat for inclusion in the World Heritage Site list.

At the initiative of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Central Government had sent a proposal to UNESCO to recognize Charaideo Maidam of the Ahom kingdom as a World Heritage Site.

The Charaideo Maidam Demarcation Committee, Ahom Xabha, Media Management and Research Association, Tai Xahitya Xabha, Rangpur Ancient Monument Conservation Committee and All Assam Borpatra Gohain Genealogy held a press conference at Sibsagar Press Club on Saturday afternoon.

Dr Zakirul Alam, member of the Charaideo Maidam Demarcation Committee and the map-maker of the Maidam, expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Revenue Minister Jogen Mohan for starting the process of giving the Charaideo Maidams UNESCO recognition as World Heritage Site.

The survey and map preparation work led by Revenue Minister Jogen Mohan, who has taken special initiatives since 2019 and continued till 2022, made it easier to prepare the world heritage dossier, said Dr Alam. Dr Alam also expressed his gratitude to former Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, MP Tapan Kumar Gogoi as well as eminent educationist and Dr Dayananda Borgohain. Dr Zakirul Alam also called upon the government to include the entire Sivasagar district in ‘Iconic City’ by making proper preservation of the 551 ancient monuments identified by the Deputy Commissioner’s office in the undivided Sivasagar district.

Speaking at the press conference, Jiten Borpatragohain, a member of the demarcation committee and advisory committee of the World Heritage Site, called for the inclusion of all the Maidams, Deoshal, Langkuri Dol, Ponds, etc located in the surrounding areas that were excluded from the major areas of UNESCO World Heritage Site. He also said that on January 16 this year Assam Chief Minister in a letter to the Prime Minister had mentioned that 386 maidams were intact. But only 30 maidams were included in the core zone and accordingly the dossier were made. Therefore, Jiten Borpatra Gohain demanded the government for inclusion of all the excluded maidams in the wafer zone.

Jayanta Rajkonwar, President of Ahom Xabha, demanded that the lands under ancient monuments in Charaideo as well as Sivasagar district should not be officially allotted in the Basundhara-2.0 process and government lands adjacent to the monuments should be cleared from all encroachments immediately. Phulbar Dihingia, President of Sivasagar District Tai Xahitya Xabha, called upon the departmental authorities to survey all ancient monuments of undivided Sivasagar district.

Also read:  World Heritage Site: Charaideo Maidams move a step ahead

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