Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid homage to martyrs of the Assam Agitation, a movement against illegal immigrants, at the 'Swahid Smarak Kshetra' here.
Modi paid floral tribute in front of a lamp, which always remains lit in memory of the 860 martyrs of the six-year-long movement that ended in 1985.
During his about 20-minute visit, the Prime Minister walked around the memorial and toured a gallery where the busts of the martyrs are placed.
Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Assam Accord Implementation Minister Atul Bora accompanied the PM.
The memorial was inaugurated earlier this month, coinciding with the death anniversary of Khargeswar Talukdar, the first martyr of the Assam Agitation.
Talukdar had died on December 10, 1979.
Bora told reporters that Modi enquired about the martyrs and was briefed by the chief minister.
"It is a memorable day for Assam. The Prime Minister paid homage to the martyrs, who laid down their lives during the six-year-long movement when the Congress was in power," he said.
The PM garlanded the bust of Talukdar, he said.
Bora, the president of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), an ally of the BJP in the state, said the entire world will seek to know more about the Assam Agitation after the PM's visit.
"When the PM was touring the gallery, he wanted to know in detail about the martyrs. No prime minister had paid tribute to Assam Agitation martyrs in this manner. We are grateful to Modi ji for it," he said.
Built at a cost of Rs 170 crore, the memorial has facilities like water bodies, an auditorium, a prayer hall, a cycle track and an arrangement for a sound and light show, which will highlight different aspects of the Assam Agitation and the state's history.
The agitation had culminated with the signing of the Assam Accord on August 15, 1985.
The issue of illegal immigration is one of the most contentious topics in Assam's political and social spheres. Several elections have been fought over this single issue of Bangladeshi infiltrators.
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