| |
Monday, July 12, 1999
A village awaits its martyr's return
Samudra Gupta Kashyap
KHUMTAI (ASSAM), July 11: Thirty kilometres east of Kaziranga National Park, as the historic Dhodar Ali, a road built by the Ahom kings 400 years ago, branches off from National Highway 37, a banner put up by the local Khumtai Chanakya Club says: ``Our homage to martyr Captain Jintu Gogoi, Distance to his house -- 9 km.''And as one drives down the road, dozens of similar banners keep appearing: ``Jintu Gogoi amar haok, Jintu Gogoi deshor gaurav, Jintu Gogoi adarsha haok (Long live Jintu Gogoi, Jinto Gogoi is the country's pride, Let Jintu be our ideal.)'' All organisations in the Upper Assam village have put up such banners -- from clubs to schools and samitis.And as one enters the house of former Flying Officer Thagiram Gogoi, father of Captain Gogoi, it appears to be virtually an exhibition. The local boys have put up a pandal in front of the house and the family has put on display almost everything that belonged to the martyr, including five paintings made by him, all his certificates and photographsfrom his childhood to the day he was commissioned in March 1995. Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
Top
|
|
|
Printer-friendly page |
