Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday announced that a museum will be set up at Kaziranga National Park where 94 rhino horns would be on display.
Chief minister Sarma made the announcement after he lit the pyres of rhino horns at Bokakhat in Golaghat district remotely through drones in presence of a number of ministers and top-level officials.
The ministers, who were present at the event, included forest minister Parimal Suklabaidya, agriculture minister Atul Bora, health minister Keshab Mahanta, handloom & textile minister UG Brahma and others.
The chief executive member (CEM) of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), Tuliram Ronghang was also present at the event.
The Assam government on Wednesday burnt a total of 2,479 rhino horns in a public programme at Bokakhat.
Also read: Assam government burns nearly 2500 rhino horns
The government said the rhino horns, which were examined by an expert committee, were burnt on the occasion of World Rhino Day to bust myths associated with it and prevent poaching of the animal.
The stockpiles of the 2,479 rhino horns were put to flames in six giant furnaces out of 2,623 rhino horns stored in the government treasuries in different districts.
Assam chief minister Sarma termed the burning of the rhino horns as “historic”.
Also read: Rhino horns burning to be mega show in presence of Assam CM, 10 ministers
“Today is a historic day for Assam & India. We have taken an extraordinary step of burning stockpile of 2479 horns of single-horned Rhinos, first-of-its-kind globally in volume terms, pursuing vision of Hon PM Sri
@narendramodi of putting an end to poaching in Assam,” chief minister Sarma tweeted.
Today is a historic day for Assam & India. We have taken an extraordinary step of burning stockpile of 2479 horns of single-horned Rhinos, first-of-its-kind globally in volume terms, pursuing vision of Hon PM Sri @narendramodi of putting an end to poaching in Assam 1/2@PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/4SuN0XuCWB
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 22, 2021
“One-horned rhino is not only integral to our civilisation, but also a symbol of our prized heritage and identity,” chief minister Sarma said.
Informing that a total of 94 rhino horns would be on display at the museum to be set up at Kaziranga National Park, Sarma tweeted: “We are preserving 94 rhino horns for display at a museum to be set up at Kaziranga National Park.”
“The use of rhinos’ horns for medicinal purposes is a myth,” he added.
One-horned rhino is not only integral to our civilisation, but also a symbol of our prized heritage and identity.
We are preserving 94 rhino horns for display at a museum to be set up at Kaziranga National Park.
The use of rhinos’ horns for medicinal purposes is a myth. 2/2 pic.twitter.com/rr96fNQdXi
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 22, 2021
The Assam Cabinet in its meeting on September 16 unanimously decided to publicly burn 2,467 pieces of rhino horns out of 2,623 rhino horns stockpiled in the state treasuries.