Controversial Bangla Sahitya Sabha says “Gamosa-Gamcha” distortion is a concept formulated in Silchar

Bangla Sahitya Sabha, Assam issued a media statement begging before the general public to bring an end to the “Gamcha-Gamusa” debate. For the freshers, at a recent state level meeting of the Bangla Sahitya Sabha, the guests were felicitated by a piece of cloth that was 50% traditional Gamusa of Assam and 50% what the organisers said – traditional Mongolghot Gamcha.

This distortion of the sacred Gamusa didn’t go well with the general Assamese population of the state. On the other hand, the Bengali population didn’t see the message of assimilation that the organisers wanted to send across. In fact, the Bengali intelligentsia questioned how Gamcha became the symbol to represent the pride of Bengali.

Amidst the controversy, the newly formed organisation, Bangla Sahitya Sabha issued a press release passing the parcel on Silchar. While the event that sparked the controversy was held in Guwahati on March 25. Signed by Khagen Chandra Das and Prashanta Chakraborty on behalf of the organisation, the press release states that the idea of cutting the sacred Gamosa into half and stitching it with the Gamcha had its genesis in Silchar.

“It is an idea borrowed by the young members of the organisation from a photograph that was clicked one and a half years back at an event in Silchar. There, such a cloth was used to felicitate the guests that included Shiladitya Dev as well,” states the press statement.

Through the press statement, the Bangla Sahitya Sabha, distanced itself from the idea and said it is not something that they have conceptualised.

“Our attempt is to ensure Barak Brahmaputra assimilation and it is unfortunate that an idea that is not something that we stand by has caused such a controversy. We request all to put this controversy to bed here,” adds the press statement.