Asam Sahitya Sabha’s Silchar Plenary Session Passes Key Resolutions On Zubeen Garg Probe, Barak-Brahmaputra Unity, Bhasha Shahid Station

The first day of the Third Plenary Session of the Executive Committee of the Asam Sahitya Sabha was held on Saturday (October 11) at Banga Bhawan’s Bhasha Shahid Memorial Stage in Silchar, marking a landmark event in promoting cultural harmony and linguistic unity between the Barak and Brahmaputra valleys. The main event began with lighting the lamp and paying floral tributes to Zubeen Garg, Bhupen Hazarika and Kalikaprashad Bhattacharjee.

The inaugural plenary session, presided over by Asam Sahitya Sabha President Dr Basanta Kumar Goswami, Vice President Padum Rajkhowa, was graced by Chief Guest Kaushik Rai, Minister, Government of Assam, and Working President of Adarani Samiti.

The day’s proceedings began at 8:45 AM with the ceremonial flag hoisting by Dr Jogeswar Barman, President of Cachar District Sahitya Sabha, followed by a Smriti Tarpan (tribute ceremony) offered by advocate and social worker Shantanu Nayak.

In his address, Kaushik Rai emphasised the shared cultural identity of both valleys, saying, “Barak and Brahmaputra may differ geographically, but the heart beats the same. This session will inspire the new generation and create a new wave of cultural development in the valley.” He also recalled the sacrifice of 11 martyrs of Barak who were killed on May 19, 1961, in Silchar, during the Bengali Language Movement.

He proposed a series of initiatives, including the celebration of Bhupen Hazarika’s centenary in Barak Valley, installation of his statue in Cachar, and observance of Rabindranath Tagore’s birth anniversary across Brahmaputra Valley districts. He also called for the establishment of Chandrakanta Handique Bhawans in Silchar, Sribhumi, and Hailakandi, mirroring the one in Jorhat.

Highlighting infrastructure progress, Rai mentioned the upcoming first expressway in the Northeast, describing it as a “gateway to development and integration.”

Several publications were released, including Barak Vaibhav, Asam Sahitya Sabha Barta, and the centenary edition of Asam Sahitya Sabha Patrika, edited by Dr Aurobindo Rajkhowa. The releases were conducted by Padum Rajkhowa, Vice President of the Sabha, along with Dr Madhuryamandit Baruah and Dr Anil Saikia.

The Sabha also announced that Zubeen Garg will be posthumously conferred a special title at an appropriate time.

The day-long programme concluded at 3:00 PM, inaugurated by Numal Mahatta, Senior Superintendent of Police, Cachar, with Dipayan Chakraborty, General Secretary of Adarani Samiti, and Debojit Bora, Secretary of the Asam Sahitya Sabha, supervising the proceedings.

Key Resolutions Adopted

Addressing the media at the conclusion, President Dr Basanta Kumar Goswami said, “Even after many years of independence, we are not seeing the level of development that was supposed to be done in Barak Valley. Hence, we request the government to solve the connectivity problem of Barak Valley at the earliest”.

He also outlined the major resolutions passed:

• Zubeen Garg’s Death Investigation:
  The Sabha expressed satisfaction with the Assam Government’s decision to investigate Zubeen Garg’s death but urged that “there should be no politics in the investigation or judgment.” It demanded that the chargesheet and final judgement be “clear like water.”
• Honouring Saud Bholanath Baruah:
  Recognising the 19th-century nationalist’s contribution to Assamese education and industry, the Sabha urged the government to install a full-sized statue of Baruah at Guwahati Trade Centre, include his biography in the high school syllabus, observe 23 May as Trade Day, and name the upcoming Skill University as “Udyam Bikash University.”
• Boundary Disputes:
  The Sabha urged the government to find a peaceful resolution to Assam’s border conflicts with neighbouring states through cultural exchange programmes in border areas. Goswami stated, “Culture unites people, while politics divides.”
• Implementation of Assamese as Administrative Language:
  While welcoming the government’s decision to make Assamese the official administrative language from 1 April 2025, the Sabha criticised the lack of enforcement, stating that many officials were not using Assamese in administration, and demanded strict compliance.
• Revival of Tokolai Tea Research Centre:
  Expressing concern over the deteriorating state of the 100-year-old Tokolai Tea Research Centre, the Sabha urged the government to take control and revive the institution to prevent its decline.
• ST Status Demands:
  The Sabha stressed that any decision on granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities should be guided by the Panchsheel principle of coexistence and harmony, ensuring fairness for all.
• Research Centre in Silchar:
  To promote Assamese literature and research, the Sabha resolved to set up a Research Centre under the Central Institute of Assam Studies in Silchar.
• Education and Teacher Appointments:
  The Sabha urged that teacher recruitment in Barak Valley institutions—whether Assamese, Bengali, or other mediums—be proportional to student numbers, and condemned the transfer of teachers between language mediums as undesirable.
• Translation Initiatives:
  To strengthen linguistic ties, the Sabha resolved to translate 10 Assamese books into Bengali and 5 Bengali books into Assamese, along with works in other regional languages such as Dimasa.
• Bhupen Hazarika Cultural University Land Issue:
  The Sabha expressed concern that 60 bighas of land belonging to Dr Bhupen Hazarika Cultural University in Guwahati’s Chachal area had been acquired by the government and demanded alternative land for the institution.
• Barak-Brahmaputra Cultural Exchange:
  The Sabha decided to celebrate Rabindrajayanti as a central event across Assam on 25 Baisakh, and Laxminath Bezbaruah’s birthday on 26 March in Barak Valley as Sahitya Divas.
  It also announced that a biennial convention of artists, philosophers, and educators from both valleys will be held alternately in Barak and Brahmaputra to foster “cultural unity and mutual understanding.”
• Renaming of Silchar Railway Station:
  The Sabha reaffirmed the long-standing demand of the people of Silchar and Barak to rename Silchar Railway Station as Bhasha Shahid Railway Station, noting that both the Assam and Central governments had expressed no objection in 2024. However, since the government has yet to act on the renaming demand, Goswami said the Sabha will now take the initiative to push the state government to implement it. The president also said, “It reflects the mother tongue of all—Bengali, Manipuri, Odia, Assamese, Bodo, Hmar, and others.”
• Chandrakanta Handique Bhawan Expansion:
  The Sabha announced that as Chandra Kanta Handique Bhawan completes 100 years on December 2, similar Bhawans will be established in Silchar, Sribhumi, and Hailakandi to expand cultural outreach.
• Singapore Asam Sahitya Sabha Members:
  Addressing the issue of Zubeen Garg’s death in Singapore, Goswami said that Singapore Asam Sahitya Sabha’s President Wajid and Secretary Abhimanyu Talukdar had not been reachable by phone. The Sabha decided to wait for the Assam Government’s guidance and, if necessary, send a delegation to Singapore to communicate with them, assuring that the members would receive full protection from the government.

Dr Goswami concluded by reiterating that Barak-Brahmaputra unity will remain the guiding spirit of the Sabha’s upcoming activities, saying, “Artists, philosophers, and thinkers have no religion, creed, or caste. We are united by culture and humanity.”