Minister Pijush Hazarika bows down in reverence at the altar of Bengali language martyrs at Karimganj

July 21: Parliamentary Affairs; Water Resources, Information & Public Relations etc. Minister Pijush Hazarika has been in Barak Valley since Wednesday to take stock of the dysfunctional dykes and sluice gates after the devastating flood. On Wednesday night, Minister Hazarika reached Karimganj from Silchar. In the morning, he went at the memorial of the martyrs of the Bengali language movement at Karimganj and offered floral tribute at the martyrs column there.

Later on, sharing information about this, Minister Pijush Hazarika in a tweet wrote, “I paid homage to the martyrs of the Bengali language movement at the memorial of the martyrs in Karimganj District today. I was accompanied by MLAs Shri Krishnendu Paul and Shri Bijoy Malakar and other dignitaries.”

19 May, 1961 holds a special meaning in the lives of the Bengalis especially of Barak Valley, when 11 persons performed the supreme sacrifice and attained martyrdom. These brave hearts were shot dead in police firing when they had assemble in a peaceful protest movement at Silchar Railway Station to restore the status of their mother tongue Bengali. It is due to their supreme sacrifice that the Assam Official Language (Amendment) Act, 1961 was passed which stated that Bengali Language shall be used for all administrative and official purposes in the District of Cachar.

Further, on this day (21 July) in the year 1986, two more youths Jaganmoy Deb (Jagan) and Dibyendu Das (Jishu) were shot dead by the police when they were protesting against the controversial SEBA circular which stated that Assamese language was to be studied compulsorily as 3rd language in the state. Along with the 11 martyrs of 1961, these two were also considered as Bengali language martyrs. The visit of Minister Pijush Hazarika at the martyr’s memorial at Karimganj on 21 July, therefore has got a special significance.