Shiva Gogoi,NAZIRA, July 23: The Tai Ahom Development Council (TADC), led by Mayur Borgohain as the chairman, has taken a slew of measures for overall welfare of the Ahom community, including funding of conservation of Ahom-era monuments across Assam, scholarships for students learning the Tai language and coaching for students preparing for UPSC and APSC examinations. “Though most of the ‘moidam’s are located in Sivasagar and Charaideo districts, the TADC has taken steps for conservation of over 100 ‘moidam’s in different parts of the State,” Borgohain said after performing the ‘lai khuta’ (main post) installation ceremony of the Rs 40 lakh project for renovation of the Balighat-based Shiva Mandir in Assam’s Sivasagar district on Monday.
According to the TADC chairman, the various projects being funded by the Council include the construction of the Rs 6.5 crore Joymoti Memorial Complex at Maduri, the Rs 1 crore Sukapha Kshetra at Gogamukh, the Rs 1 crore Sati Joymoti Kshetra at Lakhimpur, and the Chaolung Sukapha statue on Tipam Hills. Similar work by the TADC is going on in Tinsukia, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, and Golaghat districts, and even in Guwahati.
“The Council has earmarked Rs 70 lakh for construction of a statue of Swargadeo Gadadhar Singha in front of the Athkhelia Naamghar in Golaghat district. The people associated with the shrine have already decided to provide a ‘bigha’ of land for the purpose. Boundary walls of Piyoli Phukan Dole, Gorokhia Dole, Jagadhatri Dole, and Bishnu Dole have also been constructed by the Council,” Borgohain said.
According to him, “The TADC has been sponsoring coaching-cum-training programmes for eligible Tai Ahom students preparing for the competitive examinations conducted by the UPSC and the APSC. The coaching is conducted in Guwahati and Delhi. Several students have passed the exams with flying colours.”
The TADC has constructed Tai-language schools in certain areas of Assam. Over 200 students are learning the Tai language in various vernacular-medium government schools in the State. The Council has also given scholarships to the students and their teachers, Borgohain said.
Tai was the language of the Ahom kingdom in Assam, but is now primarily used in cultural and religious contexts. While no longer a spoken language in the State, efforts are on to revive it. When asked about the eviction drives being conducted in different parts of Assam, the TADC chairman said that the State government is doing a very good job for protection of the identity of the Assamese people.
