It’s no less a God’s gift to one of Assam’s most backward districts.
Yes, Sachin Tendulkar, who is often termed as the 'God of Cricket' in India, has donated Rs 25 lakh from his MP’s local Area Development Fund (MPlAD) for the welfare of a minority community in insurgency-ravaged Karbi Anglong district in Assam. The amount will be spent for construction of a boy’s hostel that will house students belonging to Man-Tai or Shyam comunity in the district.
Karbi Anglong Deputy Commissioner Mukul Gogoi told The Pioneer on Sunday that he has received a letter written on behalf of the cricketing legend and a cheque of Rs 25 lakh from District Magistrate (DM) Mumbai for the purpose.
Man-Tai or Shyam is a small community in Assam mostly living in parts of Jorhat, Golaghat and Karbi Anglong districts. Having their origin in Burma, the Man-Tai community is believed to have come to Assam during the Burmese aggression between 1817 and 1826. Some, however, says that the community migrated to Assam in the 16th century crossing the Patkai hill range. Followers of Buddhism, the Shyam or Man Tai community has only about 12,000 families scattered in Jorhat, Golaghat and Karbi Anglong districts of Assam.
“The amount has accordingly been disbursed for the purpose,” said Gogoi.
Earlier this year, a delegation of Man-Tai Cultural Development Society met Tendulkar in New Delhi and sought his help for the hostel’s construction.
Gogoi said that the project site has already been identified at Manja in the district, located near the Buddhist Pagoda, 10 kms from Karbi Anglong district headquarters Diphu. He said that the proposed two-storey hostel will house 50 to 60 students from the community and the management of the hostel will be run by the Manja Pagoda (Monastery) Management Committee.
“We are grateful to the cricketing legend. We have heard that he does lots of philanthropic works for those in need. We are delighted that he has decided to give us a helping hand,” said Bhogeswar Shyam, who belongs to the Man-Tai community.
located about 250 kms away from Assam capital town Guwahati, Karbi Anglong used to be a hotbed of insurgency in Assam since more than last three decades. Although the situation has improved in last few years, yet there are reports of insurgent activities in the district. The district, once known for its blue hills, serene beauty and climate, lost its sheen due to insurgent activities, which forced it to remain backward in terms of development despite the fact that district was declared an autonomous one under the Sixth Schedule of the constitution of India in 1952.