Moubandha (Jorhat), Dec. 2: Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi today invoked Siu-Ka-Pha, the first Ahom king, to spread the message of tolerance and unity.
Gogoi said this while inaugurating the Chou Lung Siu-Ka-Pha Samanway Kshetra, a mega cultural project on the outskirts here.
The area falls under Dergaon Assembly seat, which is part of the Kaliabor Lok Sabha seat, currently represented by Gogoi's son Gaurav Gogoi and earlier by the chief minister's younger brother Dip Gogoi.
The inauguration ceremony was organised on the occasion of Asom Divas today, observed to mark the arrival of Siu-Ka-Pha in Assam.
Named after the founder of the Ahom dynasty, the originally Rs 70-crore cultural complex has been planned on the lines of Guwahati's Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra and is coming up on 80 bighas of land along National Highway 37, about 15km west of here.
According to official sources, the cost is likely to be Rs 100 crore when the project is completed. At present, the memorial centre with the statue of Siu-Ka-Pha, the mammoth entrance gate and the multi-storied museum, have been constructed.
Gogoi, wearing a sapkon (traditional Ahom costume with a turban) given to him by an Ahom priest and holding a hengdang (traditional Ahom sword), said the ideals of the monarch were still relevant.
"Siu-Ka-Pha, who came from a province in China, laid the foundation of the Assamese society - first by establishing a kingdom from small provinces and then bringing together various tribes and communities by respecting and treating them equally, irrespective of their diverse faiths, languages and cultural traditions," Gogoi said.
Stating that the founder of the Ahom monarchy had preached tolerance, brotherhood, peace and amity among his subjects belonging to different tribes, Gogoi said the king never discriminated, forced or interfered in the cultural aspect and hence diverse cultures thrived for over 600 years during the Ahom reign.
Drawing a parallel with his government, the chief minister said Assam under him has seen a period of peace, progress and accelerated development.
"Following the path shown by the great ruler, we have carried out development for all. Several development councils for various groups, including Hindi and Bengali-speaking communities, have been formed to share the fruits of development," Gogoi said.
Taking a swipe at organisations (without naming them) trying to interfere with people's food habits, attire and faith, Gogoi said he would "crush the evil forces" detrimental to the unity of the Assamese society and protect the state like the Ahom rulers - who warded off Mughal invasions. Gogoi had laid the foundation stone of the complex just before the 2006 Assembly polls. But the project could not take off because three landowners moved Gauhati High Court and obtained a stay order on land acquisition.
In February 2008, the court disposed of the case and the district administration took possession of the land. Work began after the government sanctioned Rs 2 crore in the 2009-2010 state budget.
The lion's share of funds is being provided under Special Central Assistance of the Centre.