After Assam Gaurav honour, cricketer Simu Das's family gets land for house construction

The Assam government has formally allotted one-and-a-half katha of land to the family of Simu Das, a visually impaired woman cricketer from Nagaon district, recognising her achievements in cricket despite years of poverty and difficult living conditions.

The land was handed over to her mother, Anju Das, for the construction of a permanent house. Simu, who hails from Kathiatoli Kachari village under the Barhampur constituency in Nagaon district, was recently selected for the prestigious Assam Gaurav Award for 2025.

The family had been living in a dilapidated hut built on land belonging to someone else and had remained landless for several years.

Simu's journey has been marked by financial hardship and personal challenges. Her father abandoned the family before her birth, leaving her mother to raise two children, both of whom have disabilities, on her own.

To support the family, Anju Das initially worked as a domestic help, washing utensils in different households. She later took up a job as a cook at the Kathiatoli branch of the Central Bank of India to provide for her children.

Despite growing up in difficult circumstances and living with visual impairment, Simu pursued her passion for cricket. Her performances in visually impaired women's cricket brought recognition to Assam and India at the national and international levels.

Taking note of the family's living conditions, former Nagaon District Commissioner Debashish Sharma had initiated the process of allotting one-and-a-half katha of land to them.

Following the completion of the necessary government formalities, the land was formally handed over to Anju Das in the presence of Kampur Circle Officer Raji Hlinglenkim Shingchon.

The allotment is expected to enable the family to build a permanent home after years of living in a makeshift structure on land owned by another person.

The government's decision comes as recognition of Simu's sporting achievements and the hardships faced by her family. Her journey from a landless household in Kathiatoli to representing India in visually impaired women's cricket has drawn attention to her achievements and determination.