Floral Tributes, Paintings, Songs, Poetry Mark Homage to the 11 Language Martyrs: Who Said What

“Panch Joshtir gai joyo gaan, panch Joshtir gao joyo gaan, oidin amader doshti bhai, ekti bon dilo nijer jaan.”
The mournful lines of this song echoed through Silchar Railway Station on Monday morning as people gathered to mark the 64th Bhasha Shahid Divas, a day that commemorates the sacrifice of 11 martyrs who laid down their lives in 1961 while defending the right to speak Bengali.

The observance began at the Tarapur Railway Station on Monday morning, the very site where the 11 satyagrahis were shot dead by state police while peacefully protesting against a circular issued by the then Assam Government, which sought to impose Assamese as the sole official language across the state, other than English. The protest was part of a broader resistance movement in the Barak Valley, where Bengali is the mother tongue for the majority.

People from all walks of life, including students, political leaders, civil society members, and cultural organisations, gathered to offer floral tributes at the Shahid Minar in Silchar Railway Station. The homage continued at the Smashan Ghat, where the mortal remains of the martyrs were laid to rest. The atmosphere was one of deep respect and reflection.

Addressing the gathering, Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev highlighted the continued apathy towards the language martyrs. “The station’s name remains unchanged because criminal cases were filed against the martyrs, and it exists to this day on record. If the government wants, they can withdraw those charges in a minute. The atrocities against Bengalis in Upper Assam are on the rise. Bengali people do not demand more than Assamese or Bodo communities; we only ask for equality,” she said.

Silchar MLA Dipayan Chakraborty paid tribute to the martyrs and participated in commemorations across the town. “On this 64th Bhasha Shahid Divas, we remember their courage and their cause,”. He shared, the representatives from both Bangla Sahitya Sabha and Assam Sahitya Sabha came forward to pay tribute. The president of Assam Sahitya Sabha delivered a unifying message: “When you respect your own language, you automatically learn to respect others”, shared Chakraborty.

Minister of the Barak Valley Development Department, Kaushik Rai, noted the growing cooperation between different linguistic communities and the state’s commitment to balanced development. “Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is equally committed to the growth of both Barak and Brahmaputra valleys,” he said.

District Commissioner of Cachar, Mridul Yadav, called for linguistic harmony and sensitivity. “It is important to be respectful and responsible with and for our language,” he urged during his address.

Rupom Nandi Purkayastha, of the All Cachar Karimganj Hailakandi Students’ Association (ACKHSA), expressed disappointment that official records and detailed reports of the 1961 incident are still missing. This lack of documentation is a dishonour to their sacrifice,” he said.

Rajesh Deb of the All India Trinamool Congress, Cachar unit, reiterated the demand to rename Silchar Railway Station to “Bhasha Shahid Station” in honour of the fallen.

Former MLA Dilip Paul also spoke about the events of 1961, providing a brief yet emotional recollection of the satyagraha and the brutal police firing that claimed 11 lives — including a young girl, Kamala Bhattacharjee.

As the day concluded, the air in Silchar remained heavy with memory and resolve, a collective promise that the voices silenced in 1961 would continue to be remembered and respected. But do we only remember them during the one week of May, are are we able to live up to what they sacrificed for?

How and where are the families of martyrs Kamala Bhattarcharjee, Kanailal Niyogi, Chandicharan Sutradhar, Hitesh Biswas, Satyendra Deb, Kumud Ranjan Das, Sunil Sarkar, Tarani Debnath, Sachindra Chandra Paul, Birendra Sutradhar and Sukamal Purkayastha today?