GUWAHATI:
Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw honoured the grandson of ‘Amar Shaheed’ Kushal Konwar in a programme organised under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in the premises of the historical Red Fort in New Delhi on August 13.
Kumud Konwar, son of Nagen Konwar and grandson of Kushal Konwar, was working as a constable in 4th Assam Police Battalion (APBN) in Kahilipara in Guwahati.
Kushal Konwar, who was born on March 21, 1905 at Chaodang Chariali of Ghiladhari Mouza of Assam’s Golaghat district, had, during the Quit India Movement, organised the Congress party and led the people of Sarupathar against the British. On June 15, 1943 at 4:30 am, he was hanged in Jorhat Jail after the court found him guilty in a case related to the derailment of an artillery train in Sarupathar on October 10, 1942.
Kushal Konwar, who happened to be the only martyr in India who was hanged during the last phase of the Quit India Movement of 1942-43, had two sons – Khagen and Nagen – both expired.
Apart from Kumud, the Union minister also honoured five other martyrs – Shivram Hari Rajguru (Maharashtra), Khudiram Bose (West Bengal), Alluri Sitarama Raju (Andhra Pradesh), Laxman Nayak (Orissa) and Komaram Bheem (Telangana) – at the ceremony.
The Union minister also flagged-in the Railway Protection Force (RPF) motorcycle rally consisting of 75 motorcycles organised by the RPF on the premises of the Red Fort.