11/03/2026
PRESS STATEMENT
BJSM Welcomes Naming of Dhigli Pukhuri–Noonmati Flyover After King Prithu, Seeks Proper Recognition as “Bodo King Prithu”
Kokrajhar, 11th March 2026: The Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Manch (BJSM) has welcomed the initiative of the Government of Assam in naming the newly inaugurated flyover connecting Dhigli Pukhuri to Noonmati, the longest flyover in the state, as “Prithu Uran Setu.” The organization expressed appreciation for the decision to honour the historic figure King Prithu, who played a significant role in the history of ancient Kamrup.
However, the BJSM at the same time expressed dissatisfaction and regret that the official name of the flyover does not clearly mention the identity of King Prithu as a Bodo King. The Manch stated that by omitting the word “Bodo King” before the name Prithu, the larger public may remain confused about the identity and historical background of the great ruler.
According to BJSM, since the historical figure of Prithu is not widely known among the general population, simply writing “Prithu Uran Setu” may raise the question among people—“Who is Prithu?” To remove such doubts and to ensure historical clarity, it would have been more appropriate to name the flyover “Bodo King Prithu Uran Setu.”
BJSM pointed out that King Prithu was a powerful Bodo (Mech) ruler of ancient Kamrup, who ruled from 1195 AD to 1228 AD. Historical accounts mention that during his reign, the Turkic military commander Ikhtiyar-ud-din Muhammad Bakhtyar Khilji, who served under the Delhi Sultanate during the rule of Qutb-ud-din Aibak and later declared himself ruler of Bengal, launched an ambitious expedition towards Tibet after conquering Bengal and Nadia.
As recorded by Maulana Minhaj-i-Siraj-ud-Din in Tabakat-i-Nasiri, Bakhtyar Khilji marched from Lakhanabati towards Tibet through Kamrup with a cavalry force of around a thousand horsemen. When his army reached the western part of Kamrup, he encountered Ali Mech, a local Bodo ruler who was captured and later converted to Islam and compelled to guide the invading army.
With the help of Ali Mech, Bakhtyar Khilji sent a message to King Prithu, seeking cooperation for his expedition to Tibet. King Prithu wisely advised him to postpone the campaign due to unfavourable weather conditions and difficult terrain. However, Bakhtyar ignored the advice and proceeded with his march.
After a long and exhausting journey through mountainous terrain, Bakhtyar’s forces entered the Tibetan region where they began plundering settlements. The local inhabitants fiercely resisted, resulting in heavy casualties among the invading forces, Realizing the disastrous situation, Bakhtyar decided to retreat.
Foreseeing the returning army and its threat, King Prithu adopted a strategic scorched-earth policy, destroying food supplies and water resources along the route to weaken the invading soldiers and relocating villagers from vulnerable areas to safer locations.
During their difficult retreat through Kamrup, Bakhtyar’s forces faced severe hardships—lack of food, water and fodder. The bridge they had earlier crossed over the river had been damaged, and the guards left behind were killed. Trapped and exhausted, the Turkic army attempted to cross the river using makeshift rafts while being pursued by King Prithu’s forces.
In the ensuing chaos, many of Bakhtyar Khilji’s soldiers were killed or drowned, and the once-formidable army suffered a humiliating defeat. Bakhtyar himself barely managed to escape with only a few hundred surviving troops.
It is historically significant that Bakhtyar Khilji, who had earlier destroyed the great universities of Nalanda and Vikramshila and conquered Bengal and Bihar, faced one of his most humiliating defeats in Kamrup at the hands of the Bodo-Mech ruler King Prithu and his people.
Renowned scholar Dr. Suniti Kumar Chatterjee, in The Struggle for Empire (Vol. V, p. 382), published by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai, also noted that Bakhtyar Khilji’s ill-conceived expedition into Assam ended in disaster due to the resistance of the Bodo people and their rulers, long before the arrival of the Ahoms in western Assam.
In light of these historical facts, BJSM stated that King Prithu should be properly recognised as a Mech-Bodo ruler of Kamrup and honoured as a heroic figure in the history of Assam and India for his courageous resistance against Bakhtyar Khilji.
Therefore, the Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Manch urges the Government of Assam to appropriately rename the flyover as “Bodo King Prithu Setu” or “Bodo King Prithu Uran Setu” so that the identity and contribution of the great Bodo ruler receive rightful recognition.
The Manch believes that acknowledging the historical identity of King Prithu will not only honour the legacy of the Bodo people but also strengthen the inclusive historical narrative of Assam.
Daorao Dekhreb Narzary
Working President
Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Manch (BJSM)
