Shillong pays tributes to ‘patriot of patriots’

Shillong: The 129th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was celebrated on Friday with floral tributes at his statue on the State Central Library premises and other localities across the city.At a function organised by the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Birthday Celebration Committee, speakers recalled Netaji’s pivotal role in forming a Congress govt in Shillong in 1938 — a historic political move that ensured the present north-eastern region remained an integral part of India and was not annexed to Pakistan. In his capacity as Congress president, Netaji had met the British governor of Assam in Shillong to press for the formation of a Congress govt.Eventually, the governor agreed, and on November 18, 1938, a Congress govt under Gopinath Bordoloi was sworn in.