Guwahati: Bamboo from Boko town in Assam is set to play a crucial role in the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya that will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister on January 22. Business North East has learned that 7,000 pieces of the versatile bamboo from the state will be used to construct barricades and set up camps ahead of the highly-anticipated inauguration.

Notably, the saplings of the bamboo that is to be used were planted by the divyangs (specially-abled people) from Lower Langpih village, situated along the Assam-Meghalaya border. In the Lower Langpih village, which has a population of around 15,000, 200 divyangs have taken the lead in donating high-quality bijli (or murali) bamboo for the construction project. 

The All Assam Divyanga Versatile Association, based in the Kamrup district, is spearheading the initiative and sent the pieces to Ayodhya on January 5. The bamboo was collected from the Lampi area, stacked at Gohalkona Kacharipam, and then loaded onto a container truck. The Langpih committee of the association had actively participated in making poles from raw bamboo grown locally by them and other tribal families, including the Nepali, Rabha, and Garo communities.

The bijli bamboo, known for its durability and strength, is traditionally used for fencing and construction purposes in Assam. Despite the challenging economic conditions faced by the divyang, they chose to contribute to the Ram Temple construction without charging any money from the organizers.

Jhil Choudhury, Secretary of the Central Committee of Sodou Asom Divyang Bahumukhi Unnayan Santha, a local body, mentioned the challenges faced by the specially-abled people in the hilly terrain of Langpih. "Life is harsh for a divyang in the hilly terrain. With no source of income except for selling naturally grown ginger and broomsticks, their economic condition is bad," Choudhury explained.

"Despite this, we are sending 7,500 logs of 9 ft long bijli bamboo to Ayodhya without charging any money from the organisers. This type of bamboo is traditionally used for fencing and construction purposes here in Assam due to its durability and strength" Choudhury added.

Choudhury, speaking to media persons, said the specially-abled people of Assam played an important role in collecting the bamboo from the hilly Lumpi area which took around 10 days.

Arjun Chetry, the General Member of Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council (RHAC), expressed pride in the opportunity to send bamboo to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. "The people of India are looking forward to that day as it is a day of pride for the Hindus," Chetry added.

Jayanta Mallabaruah, minister for PHE, SEE, and Tourism through X (formerly Twitter) expressed his delight and stated that this development highlights the true spirit of "sabka sath sabka vikas' (everybody's company, everybody's growth).

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