Guwahati, December 18 (IANS): A week ahead of the scheduled inauguration of the Bogibeel bridge, Tai Ahom organisations on Tuesday called for a road blockade near the bridge demanding that it be named after Chaolung Siu-ka-pha, the founder of the erstwhile Ahom Kingdom of Assam.
The call forthe road blockade comes a day after the Assam government wrote to the NortheastFrontier Railway (NFR) to name the bridge as "Birangana Sati SadhaniSetu", named after Chutia community queen Sati Sadhani.
While thegovernment's move has been hailed by the Chutia community, the Tai Ahomorganisations including Ahom Sabha, All Assam Tai Ahom Yuva Parishad, All TaiAhom Students' Union have decided to hold the blockade on Thursday to press thegovernment for naming the bridge near Dibrugarh town after the Ahom King.
"It ismore apt to name the bridge after Swargadeo Chaolung Siu-ka-pha. It has been ademand from us for a long time. There cannot be a better choice as he was theone who united all the communities living in this land to constitute thegreater Assamese society," said a senior leader of Ahom Sabha.
Prior to thestate government's announcement, general secretary of the ll Assam ChutiaStudents Union, Mohen Bora had threatened that several youths from thecommunity will jump into the Brahmaputra river from the Bogibeel Bridge on theday of its inauguration if their demand was not met.
Meanwhile,the Deuri community has also demanded that the bridge be named after theirleader Bhimbor Deuri.
SeveralMising organisations including the apex body TMPK, said that the bridge shouldbe named after Swahid Kamala Miri and justified that most of the people who hadgiven their lands for the bridge are from Mising community.
Earlier, BJPMLA from Dibrugarh constituency, Prashanta Phukan had demanded that the bridgebe named after former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for his concern forthe people of the northeast.
While formerPrime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda laid the foundation stone of the bridge in 1997,Vajpayee inaugurated the construction works of the bridge in 2002.
PrimeMinister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the bridge on December 25.
The bridgewill not only connect the Dibrugarh and Dhemaji districts, but is also ofstrategic importance to India as it will significantly enhance the nation'sability to transport troops and supplies to Arunachal Pradesh.
Built at acost of around Rs 5,920 crore, the 4.98-km long structure is India's longestrail cum road bridge and based on the design of Oresund bridge that connectsSweden and Finland across the Oresand strait.
