Over 850 youths killed by Congress government's brutal forces during Assam agitation: Himanta

More than 850 young people lost their lives due to the brutality of the then Congress government in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. "Their only fault was demanding a Safe Assam, demanding an end to illegal infiltration," he stated.

Speaking about the dark chapter in Assam's history, Sarma revealed that 860 youths and citizens were killed by the brutal forces of the government in power at that time. "All we know is that at that point of time Congress ruled, and during that period 860 youngsters were killed merely for demanding a safe Assam, merely for protesting against illegal infiltration, merely for asking our own rights to live," the chief minister said.

Four and a half decades after the tragic events, the Assam government has constructed a Shahid Smarak Shetra (martyrs' memorial complex) to honour those who lost their lives during the agitation. The memorial site will feature musical fountains, a library, and a martyrs' gallery.

The chief minister announced that the entire complex will be dedicated to the people of Assam and the nation tomorrow on Martyrs' Day, December 10.

The Assam Agitation, which lasted from 1979 to 1985, was a mass movement against illegal immigration from neighbouring Bangladesh. The movement, led primarily by students, witnessed violent clashes between protestors and security forces, resulting in hundreds of deaths across the state.