Cachar Congress takes jibe at Silchar MLA, MP; “They are spineless,” says Abhijit Paul, questions Hindu Org’s silence

More reactions are pouring in against the incidents of tearing apart banners in the Brahmaputra Valley simply because they contain Bengali text. Cadres from fringe groups, like the Lachit Sena, attacked the mandaps celebrating Durga Puja and tore apart banners bearing the name of the Puja Committee or generic phrases like “Jai Shree Kedarnath.” Adding fuel to these reactions are the remarks made by Minister Ranjit Dass during his visit to Hailakandi in Barak Valley.

The minister said, “If you ignore the Bengali language in Barak Valley and display banners in Assamese, there will be a reaction. When you erase the Assamese language in Brahmaputra Valley and put up Bengali banners, the reaction is obvious.”

Cachar Congress has now joined the list of organizations and individuals who have strongly condemned the apparent insult to one of Assam’s official languages and the blatant imposition of a language that curbs the fundamental right to express.

Abhijeet Paul, the President of the District Congress in Cachar, took a dig at the local BJP leaders. “The Silchar MP and MLA are spineless. All they seem to do is follow the Chief Minister. When such actions occur, why do they not even dare to speak?” questioned Paul.

He added, “This is not an attack on the Bengali language; it is an attack on the core essence of Sanatana Dharma. Are we trying to turn Assam into Bangladesh where Hindus cannot celebrate Durga Puja? Why are Hindu organizations silent today? When pandals are damaged in Bangladesh, they take to the streets in large numbers to protest. But what happens when pandals are damaged with bamboo and insults are hurled, questioning the integrity of Durga Puja in Assam?”

Paul claimed that the BJP has consistently engaged in divisive politics, initially along Hindu-Muslim religious lines and now along Assamese-Bengali ethnic and linguistic lines. “The Chief Minister himself shows partiality and discrimination when announcing aid for the Durga Puja committee. He has allocated Rs 10,000 for Durga Puja, while aid for Bihu Celebrations is five times as much. Furthermore, he stated that any Puja committee or club performing Puja continuously for more than three years will receive aid. However, we are aware that many Puja Mandaps have been performing Puja continuously for over 30 years and have yet to receive aid because the committee members are not from the BJP or are affiliated with opposition parties,” Paul added.

He also criticized CM Himanta Biswa Sarma for what he deemed “hypocrisy.” He pointed out that Sarma comes to Barak Valley to celebrate Durga Puja with the Bengali population but remains silent and takes no action in his capacity as the Minister of Home Affairs when Bengali banners are torn apart.