From the Pages of Republic Day History: Know Barak’s Only Representative to the Constituent Assembly

Barak Valley always had a troubled history, parts of it switching sides from Assam to Bengal, and back to Assam, from time to time. More complex is its demography, changing political inclinations and affiliations of its groups, and the distrust that exists between communities due to practical experiences and valid reasons.

However, the Barak Valley always has had the distinction of producing some of the most intriguing political personalities from this far flung region, who were valued nationally as well.

In 1946, when the constituent assembly was formed for the purpose of drafting the Constitution of India, Nibaran Chandra Laskar, who was from Phulbari of Cachar, represented Assam as one of the few chosen members to represent the province in the Constituent Assembly. Nibaran Chandra Laskar was a highly qualified person, having done his B.A. from M.C College, Sylhet, and M.A in Sanskrit from Dhaka University.

Nibaran Chandra served as a professor of Sanskrit and Bengali in the GC College of Silchar from 1935 to 1945. He was also a dalit leader of his time and was elected as the MP for Cachar and Lushai Hills in the 1952 Lok Sabha elections.

Nibaran Chandra Laskar was born on 14 January 1902, in the Niz Phulbari village of Cachar, Assam and was the only Bengali Hindu representative from the Assam province in the Constituent Assembly. He was also the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Relief and Rehabilitation, Assam Government (1950-52) and worked towards the resettlement of Hindu refugees who came from East Pakistan.

From the questions that were put up on the floor of the Parliament of India by Nibaran Chandra Laskar and his colleagues, a perception or concern towards the Naga militancy in the North Cachar Hills could be observed, dating back to as early as 1958, which serves as a reminder of how old the insurgency problem of North East is, and how it has been effecting the lives of the people here, for decades now.

The author of this article is a student of the Assam University Silchar. The opinion expressed in this article are his personal.