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Black ink smeared on Assamese hoarding at Silchar Rail station; FIR lodged
Investigation launched, action will be taken as per law: SP Cachar
Oct. 18: A new controversy has erupted over the use of ink on an Assamese-language government hoarding at the Silchar railway station premises. The matter has been taken up by the police. The hoarding was put up during the recently concluded Durga Puja by ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’. The writing on the hoarding was in Assamese language.
Since then, the hoarding became the topic of discussion in social media portals. Many opined that as Bengali is the official language for the people of Barak Valley, so why is the government putting up hoardings in Assamese. Few netizens even alleged that a hidden agenda is being pursued by Dispur in a subtle way by putting up such hoardings and thereby indulging in linguistic aggression. When such debates were ripe in social media platforms, two organisations- Barak Democratic Youth Front (BDYF) and All Bengali Student-Youths went to the railway station on Sunday and erased the Assamese writing on the said hoarding with black ink and wrote below it “Write in Bengali.”
Kalparnab Gupta, chief convener of the Barak Democratic Youth Front, said Bengali was recognized as the official language of Barak Valley at the cost of the lives of 11 youths in 1961. “We cannot allow linguistic aggression and thereby insult the supreme sacrifice made by the language martyrs in that very station premises where the Assamese hoarding was put up. This is indeed in sharp violation to the Official Language Act of Assam,” said Mr Gupta.
Reacting to this incident, several groups including All Assam Student Union (AASU), Asom Jatiya Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), Bir Lachit Sena leader Shrinkhal Chaliha and various Assamese organizations have become vocal about the incident of putting black ink on Assamese hoardings. According to them, this insult to the Assamese language in Assam is painful. This cannot be accepted.
Meanwhile, the the Jal Jeevan Mission from the district administration on Monday has 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 pasting black ink on a government banner near Silchar Railway Station. Reacting to this, Ramandeep Kaur, Superintendent of Police, Cachar said that they have started investigation after receiving the complaint. She added that necessary action will be taken as per law.
