After much controversy, Jal Jeevan Mission replaces Assamese hoarding with Bengali at Silchar station

Oct. 23: A controversy erupted over the use of black ink on an Assamese language government hoarding at the Silchar railway station premises.  Meanwhile, the Jal Jeevan Mission from the district administration lodged an FIR against the Barak Democratic Youth Front (BDYF) and All Bengali Student-Youths at Silchar police station for allegedly dishonouring the Assamese language by smearing black ink on Assamese writing in that hoarding. On  Tuesday, a counter FIR was lodged at Silchar Sadar Police Station by Barak Democratic Youth Front (BDYF) alleging violation of “The Assam Official Language (Amendment) Act, 1961 by the Jal Jeevan Mission.

When such a heated state of affairs was going on,  the Jal Jeevan Mission, Cachar replaced the “controversial black-ink smeared hoarding in Assamese” by a new one in Bengali language at Silchar Railway Station premises on Saturday.

Earlier, BDYF in its FIR against the Chairperson of ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’, Cachar, Assam stated, “A banner of Jal Jeevan Mission, Assam was displayed in the premises of Silchar Railway Station. The main issue of concern is that the poster was in Assamese language. First, this poster has violated Section 5 of THE ASSAM OFFICIAL LANGUAGE (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1961.”

In the FIR, BDYF quoted relevant sections of the Language Act: “Without prejudice to the provisions contained in Section 3, the Bengali Language shall be used for administrative and other official purposes upto and including the district level in the District of Cachar”. They further wrote that, “Section 5 clearly mentions that Bengali Language shall be used for all administrative and official purposes in the District of Cachar and contrary to this Section, Jal Jeevan Mission of Assam has displayed the said poster in Assamese language. This a clear violation of Section 5 of THE ASSAM OFFICIAL LANGUAGE (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1961.”

Two persons were also arrested by Cachar Police for smearing black ink on the Assamese hoarding who were later on released on bail. Meanwhile, multiple FIR’s were lodged against Pradip Dutta Roy of BDF on this issue. He was also issued summon by Guwahati Police to appear there.