Bengalis in Assam are in a torpedo of haplessness & crisis of identity, asserts panelists in a programme at Silchar Station

May 18:  Like every year, this year too, the Bhasa Shahid Station Shahid Smaran Samiti, Silchar has taken in hand a bouquet of events to pay rich homage the language martyrs of 19 May, 1961. In this connection, a 3-day programme was chalked by the Samiti which will commence from 18 May, 2019. On 18 May, 2019 the Bhasa Shahid Station Shahid Smaran Samiti started their eventful programme in the afternoon with Rabindra & Nazrul Dance competition.

The Samiti has dedicated the stage for the day in memory of the compatriot of ’19’, Shankar Roy. This was followed by a panel discussion in memory of the mass leader of this valley Mahitosh Purkayasthya. The topic of the discussion was “The Role of Mother Tongue in the context of Crisis of Citizenship.” The programme powered by way2barak.com was held at Silchar Railway Station premises. Prof. Joydeep Biswas and Advocate Dharmananda Deb shared their views on this topic. The programme was compered by Debashish Purkayasthya.

The programme began with lighting of the lamp by the President of the Samiti Babul Hore. He was accompanied by Prof. Joydeep Biswas, Advocate Dharmananda Deb, Debashish Purkayasthya and members of Nandini Sahitya Charcha Kendra.

Dr. Rajib Kar, Secretary of the Samiti highlighted the history of the long drawn movement of the organisation in renaming Silchar Railway Station as Bhasha Shahid Station, Silchar. In his speech Dr.Kar reaffirmed his faith on the government and expressed hope that the state government will accept this popular demand of the people of this Valley.

The panel discussion began with the moderator Debasish Purkayasthya introducing the topic of panel discussion. Speaking during the occasion, Prof. Joydeep Biswas said that in the present scenario, the Bengalis in Assam are immersed in a situation of identity crisis. He highlighted that the two major political parties of Barak Valley, Congress & BJP have failed to do justice to the cause of according legitimacy to the language martyrs of this Valley.

In his speech Advocate Dharmananda Deb traced the history of politics of Assam since the colonial era. He then went on to say that the Assam Accord of 1985 created much complexities in the concept of citizenship in the state, which is much different than the citizenship rules prevalent in the rest of the country. He criticized the role of the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar who is compelling the people to provide biometric enrollment which is a violation of right to privacy.

In response to a question Prof. Biswas said that the present situation in which students fail to get position in HSLC is not due to AASU or any linguistic jingoism but the onus lies in the curriculum of Bengali subject and the teachers who evaluate the scripts of Bengali.

Dharmananda Deb in replying to a query highlighted that those persons whose mother tongue is Bangla are categorically harassed in the name of NRC or D-voters. The panel discussion came to an end with the speech of Babul Hore, president of the Samiti.