Assam posthumously honours Manipuri BSF constable with Bir Chilarai Award

The Assam government, on June 20, posthumously awarded the Bir Chilarai Award to BSF constable Deepak Chingakham - a resident of Manipur, who was killed in the line of duty in Jammu and Kashmir in May.

The Manipur resident was among the eminent persons honoured by the state government on the occasion of 'Rabha Divas', commemorating the death anniversary of Assam's cultural doyen 'Kalaguru' Bishnu Prasad Rabha, at the central function in Nalbari.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the life and works of Rabha inspired every Assamese person.

His songs and poems with a scent of soil continue to motivate the young generation even today, Sarma said.

The chief minister dwelt on Rabha’s vision of establishing social justice through culture from a scientific perspective as he recounted his contributions to the Assamese national life.

The Bishnu Prasad Rabha award for 2025 was awarded to eminent artiste Narendra Nath Das and eminent dancer Mallika Kandali during the function.

The national level Madhavdev Award for 2025 was presented to Sanskrit Scholar Thaneswar Sarma and the Kalicharan Brahma Award to Dhaneswar Ingti.

The state-level Sonit Konwar Gajen Barua Award for 2024 was presented to prominent Satriya exponent Sonaram Sarma Buhrabhakat and the Swargadeo Sarbananda Singh Award to social worker Jagyeswar Chetia.

All the awards were presented by the chief minister.