Guwahati, June 15, 2026 — Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the state government will take steps to support families of freedom fighters who currently receive no government jobs or pensions. He made the announcement while addressing a function in Guwahati marking Swahid Diwas to honour Kushal Konwar, the only freedom fighter from Assam executed during the Quit India Movement.
“Continuous discussions are going on about the support to bereaved families of the martyrs. We will take measures into our hands to look after those martyr families with no government jobs and no pension,” Sarma said, underlining that the proposal is being deliberated by his administration.
Paying tribute to Konwar, the Chief Minister described him as a patriot and “a continuing symbol of indomitable courage” whose sacrifice still inspires younger generations. Sarma quoted an account by Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi, who visited Konwar in jail, saying the visitors had intended to console him but returned strengthened by his resolve: “The inspiration will remain immortal in our hearts.”
Kushal Konwar was born on March 21, 1905, in present-day Golaghat district and joined the independence movement at 17 after Mahatma Gandhi’s call for non-cooperation. He helped establish Rengmai Primary School in 1925 and served as its head teacher for two years. After working in Assam’s tea gardens until 1934, Konwar devoted himself full-time to the freedom struggle and embraced Gandhi’s principles, including boycotting salt and other colonial goods.
During the Quit India Movement of 1942, British authorities cracked down on Congress activists nationwide. Konwar was accused-despite what the Chief Minister described as a lack of evidence-of masterminding a train derailment that killed British personnel. He was hanged at Jorhat Central Jail on June 15, 1943, at 4 pm, exactly 83 years to the day before Monday’s commemoration.
Sarma also highlighted the establishment of Swaraj Udyan adjacent to the historic jail to honour freedom fighters and urged martyr families to visit the site. He called on Assam’s youth to preserve the martyrs’ legacy and contribute to the progress of “Bor Axom,” saying, “It is only because of their sacrifices that we are living in a democratic nation today.”
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/assam/assam-to-support-freedom-fighters-families-without-jobs-or-pensions-cm-sarma-1612770
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Publish Date: 2026-06-15 16:03:00
