Majuli martyr's family still awaits basic road access, 42 years after Assam Movement

The family of Dandiram Bharali, Majuli's sole martyr from the 1983 Assam Movement, has renewed its appeal for basic road connectivity as Assam marked Martyrs' Day on Wednesday. Despite his sacrifice being among the 855 activists who died during the historic movement, his family remains cut off from essential services due to the absence of a motorable road to their residence.

The Bharali family home can only be reached through waterlogged, muddy tracks cutting through paddy fields. Apart from emergency ambulances under the 108 service, even motorcycles cannot access the area, creating severe hardships for daily life. A school-age child in the household frequently misses classes and examinations owing to the poor road conditions.

Nagen Chandra Bharali, the late activist's brother, said: "Dandiram Bharali was the only martyr from Majuli during the 1983 Assam Movement. We don't need a gate in his name like other martyr families have—we just need a proper road. Our children are deprived of education, and even ambulances cannot reach us. Despite repeated appeals, we have received no support. People remember us only on Martyrs' Day, but our struggles continue throughout the year."

Julie Bharali, another family member, highlighted their living conditions: "You have seen our old house and how we live. We have no proper road, no ambulance service. We request the government to improve transportation and communication facilities for us."

Local resident Pranabjyoti Barik pointed out the practical consequences of the isolation: "Since there is no road to the martyr's residence, the family cannot even attend felicitation programmes organised by the district administration on Martyrs' Day. Even the family's students face immense difficulty attending school. Authorities must not remember them only for a day; we urge the administration to ensure proper connectivity."

The family's appeals have gone unaddressed despite successive governments over more than four decades. On Wednesday, they once again called for immediate government intervention to resolve their long-standing difficulties.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the Swahid Smarak memorial at Boragaon, Guwahati, honouring those who opposed infiltration from Bangladesh beginning in 1979. The memorial, constructed over 150 bighas of land at a cost of Rs 170 crore, includes plans for a 500-seat auditorium and a digital library documenting Assamese history spanning 5,000 years.

During the ceremony, Sarma urged citizens not to employ or sell land to unknown individuals in the state, emphasising the importance of protecting Assam's demographic composition.