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Call to name new Brahmaputra bridge after Ahom Kingdom founder (Lead)

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Dibrugarh, Dec 12 (IANS) With Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to inaugurate the new rail-cum-road bridge over river Brahmaputra at Bogibeel near here on December 25, a demand has come up for naming it after the founder of the erstwhile Ahom Kingdom of Assam, Chaolung Siu-ka-pha.

In a memorandum to Modi on Monday, a copy of which is available with IANS, the Dibrugarh District Committee of the All Assam Ahom Sabha stated that the bridge be named after Siu-ka-pha who it described as “the founder of Bor Axom (composite Assam) or Seven Sisters and the Axomiya society”.

“Siu-ka-pha established a state based on a policy of inclusive co-existence and humanism that eventually led to the formation of a greater Assamese society.

“The successors of Siu-ka-pha followed his path and demonstrated how human diversity can exist and maintain a united stand to withstand and even defeat enemies like the Mughals as in the famous Battle of Saraighat (1671),” it said.

The memorandum also said that the inclusive Ahom state also helped to bring the essence of Indian culture to the heartland of Assam as art, culture and literature flourished.

Describing Siu-ka-pha as an epitome of India’s historical linkages with Southeast Asia, it said that “it would be significant to leverage this linkage towards realisation of the objectives of India’s Act East Policy”.

The memorandum referred to another rail-cum-road bridge over the Brahmaputra at Jogighopa in western Assam that was named after Koch King Naranarayan and stated: “Chaolung Siu-ka-pha, a great unifier and leader, was literally a bridge between people and cultures, and it would be significant to name the new rail-cum-road bridge at Bogibeel as Chaolung Sukapha Swamanyay Setu (Chaolung Sukapha Harmony Bridge).”

Copies of the memorandum have also been forwarded to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal among others.

The demand is the latest in a series of similar such demands made in the run-up to the inauguration of the bridge.

In November, the All Assam Chutiya Students Union demanded that the Bogibeel bridge be named after Chutiya queen Sati Sadhani who ruled the Chutiya Dynasty from 1522 to 1524.

The demand came with the threat that, if it is not met, 100 youths from the community will jump into the Brahmaputra.

There have also been suggestions in social media that the bridge be named either after pioneer of modern Assamese literature Lakshminath Bezbaroa or Assamese cultural icon Jyoti Prasad Agarwala.

While Agarwala was born near Dibrugarh, Bezbaroa died in Dibrugarh.

In August, Dibrugarh MLA Prasanta Phukan demanded that the bridge be named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Though then Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda laid the foundation stone of the bridge in 1998, it was Vajpayee who, in 2002, inaugurated the construction of the 4.94-km-long rail-cum-road bridge, the longest such in India.

December 25, the date set for the inauguration of the bridge, also happens to be the 94th birth anniversary of Vajpayee.

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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