"The soldiers from Assam and the rest of the North East have made a heroic contribution to our thrilling victories at Tiger Hill, Tololing Ridge and other strategic points. Several of them have even laid down their lives in defence of the Motherland. The entire country feels proud and indebted in paying homage to these martyrs," said Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at the Srimanta Sankaradeva Awards presentation ceremony at Guwahati recently.

The Prime Minister said that the life and teachings of Srimanta Sankaradeva are truly a source of pride and inspiration for every Indian. Multiple personalities were contained in his viraat self. He was an artist, dramatist, musician, painter, philosopher, poet and social reformer all rolled into one.

The Prime Minister revealed that his Government has given special attention to the North Eastern region including Assam. The Central Government has made significant investments to create a better economic infrastructure, like the Numaligarh Oil Refinery that he has dedicated to the nation earlier recently. Guwahati today boasts of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology which has just graduated its first batch of engineers, he said. Bhabesh Chandra Sanyal also spoke on the occasion.