Guwahati: In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kaliabor MP Gaurav Gogoi has expressed his concern over the exclusion of Sri Sri Batatdraba Than, the birthplace of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev, from the Batadraba LAC (Legislative Assembly Constituency) in Assam.
He also expressed concern over its merger into Nowgong LAC in the proposed delimitation of the Assembly constituency.
The Assam government has also taken a cabinet decision to completely merge the existing Batatdraba LAC into Dhing LAC, which further raises alarm bells for the preservation of the area’s historical and religious identity, Gogoi said in the letter.
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It may be mentioned that Batatdraba Than holds immense religious and cultural significance in Vaishnavite culture, being associated with the 7th incarnation of Lord Krishna, ‘Varaha,’ and being the birthplace of Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardeva, the initiator of the Neo-Vaishnavite movement in greater Assam.
The place, rediscovered in 1656 AD after being abandoned by Sankardeva at the age of 67, has since remained a centre for the philosophy of ‘Eka Sarana Nama Dharma,’ uniting the people of Assam and neighbouring states, the letter by the MP read.
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MP Gaurav Gogoi stated that Batatdraba Than is intrinsically connected to the satras maintaining Sankardev’s philosophy, the inherent revenue villages around the Than under Batadrava Development Block, and the entire Hatichung Mouza.
However, the proposed delimitation carves out the Batatdraba LAC and seeks to rename it as Dhing LAC, overlooks the faith and historical significance of Batatdraba, distorting its legacy and past glory, the MP said.
In light of these concerns, Gaurav Gogoi has called for immediate intervention to restore the legacy of the Neo-Vaishnavism movement initiated by Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva and ensure that the original constituency of Batatdraba LAC is reinstated in the new delimitation proposal of the Assembly constituency.