From Sudip Sharma Chowdhury
GUWAHATI : The Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday visited historic Jorhat Central Jail and interacted with the jail authority as well as few of the jail inmates and took stock of their grievances. He inspected the site inside the jail where freedom fighter Kushal Konwar was hanged and the cell where freedom fighter and social reformer Pitambor Dev Goswami was imprisoned. The Chief Minister during the visit offered his tributes to these legendary freedom fighters also. Later, while talking with the media persons, Chief Minister Dr Sarma said that as per his announcement in this year's Independence Day speech, the State Government will preserve the Jorhat Central Jail as a heritage site after shifting the present prison to another place in the district.
Government will develop a heritage site in 100 bighas of jail land. It will be done as a mark of tribute to the great freedom fighters during the celebration of 75th year of Independence "Ajadi ka Amrit Mahotsav". The Jorhat Central Jail, formerly known as Jorhat District Jail was constructed during the British rule in India in 1909 and was opened in 1911. During the freedom struggle, prominent freedom fighters like social reformer Pitambor Dev Goswami, former President Fakaruddin Ali Ahmed, former Chief Minister Gopinath Bordoloi and Bimala Prasad Chaliha, Amiyo Kumar Das, Bijoy Bhagawati, Kamakhya Tripathi etc. were imprisoned in this jail. Freedom fighter Beja Bauri and Kamala Miri breathed their last inside this jail. Martyr Kushal Konwar was hanged inside the jail on June 15, 1943.
