ভাষাশহিদ স্টেশনের কথায় চরম তাচ্ছিল্য বাঙালি নেতা শিলাদিত্যর
Issue of Bhasa Shahid Station gets run down by Bengali leader Shiladitya

Dec. 18: There is a problem on the issue of language in Assam. In the last 6 to 7 years, efforts are being made to bridge the differences. However, the linguistic chauvinism exhibited now again find its expression in the demand of renaming Silchar Railway Station as ‘Bhasa Shahid Station, Silchar.’ This would definitely give rise to new conflict among the linguistic communities of Assam. This was stated by BJP leader and the Bengali face of the party Shiladitya Dev, while speaking to the media on the sidelines of a Book Fair inauguration programme in Silchar on Thursday.

While elaborating on this issue, Shiladitya Dev, who is also the Chairman of Linguistic Minority Board further stated that love towards one’s language is essential, but for that purpose linguistic jingoism needs to be avoided. He said, “Instead of demanding to rename Silchar Station as Bhasa Shahid Station, people should rather demand to rename Karimganj station as ‘Sribhumi Station’ or Karimganj district as ‘Sribhumi district.’ This would infact be a matter of pride for the Bengalis. Renaming Silchar station as Bhasa Shahid Station would only give rise to more division in Assam.”

In the year 2005, mass demand was raised to change the name of Silchar Railway Station to “Bhasa Shahid Station, Silchar”. This demand was moved to preserve the self esteem of mother tongue in Barak Valley. However, this was later on transformed into a mass demand with the support of every linguistic community and political parties. Even BJP patriarch and former Union Minister Kabindra Purkayastha openly supported the demand of renaming Silchar station. It needs mention that BJP leader and present Silchar MLA Dipayan Chakraborty was in the past Vice President of ‘Bhasa Shahid Station Shahid Smaran Samiti’ for a long time and was also actively involved in the renaming movement of Silchar station.

In this connection, way2barak reached out to Dr. Rajib Kar, General Secretary of ‘Bhasa Shahid Station Shahid Smaran Samiti’, the organisation which spearheaded the movement for renaming Silchar Railway Station as “Bhasa Shahid Station, Silchar.” Taking a dig at Shiladitya Dev, Dr Kar said, “I am sorry to say but he has not done his homework properly before speaking. He has spoken much without knowing much of the history associated with it.”

Dr Rajib Kar also said, “When the then Congress minister P. Chidambaram stated in Parliament that the language movement of 1961 was ‘regional patriotism’, at that time BJP MP Kabindra Purkayastha vehemently protested against such terminology. Such aspects are part of the history which unfortunately was not known to Mr Shiladitya Dev.”

Dr. Kar further said, “It was on 7 November 2016, that the Government of India gave no objection for changing the name of Silchar Railway Station as ‘Bhasa Shahid Station, Silchar.’ In that letter issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs of Government of India, the state government of Assam was requested to issue the required Gazette Notification for the spelling of new name in Devanagri (Hindi), Roman (English) and Regional Language (Bengali). However, since then, the issue is lying pending in the court of the state government for reasons best known to them.” Saying so, Dr Kar stated, “Mr Shiladitya Dev before speaking on such a sensitive issue close to the heart of the people of the valley must get his facts verified. People of the valley hold the 11 language martyrs of 1961 in high esteem and also expect due recognition for them from the government.”