Committee supports delimitation, echoes, Dipayan - Rajdeep protesting won't matter; "A Kaibarta will become MP of Silchar," Sujit Das Choudhury

Central Committee of ‘Barak Upatyaka Kaibarta Samaj Unnoyon Parishad’ has held a meeting in Silchar. The meeting was attended by top office bearers of the Kaibarta Samaj. After the meeting, the spokespeople of the committee held a press briefing. Kaibartas (Jalia) are the second-largest Scheduled Caste (SC) group among the 16 in Assam, recognized as Kaibarta-Jaliya. According to the 2001 Census, their population in the state is 5,81,559.

The members of the Central Committee of the Kaibarta Development Association said that they are elated by the delimitation proposal tabled by the Election Commission of India especially the proposal to reserve Silchar Lok Sabha Seat for the candidates belonging to the SC Community.

It is worth mentioning here that Barak Valley has two Lok Sabha Seats, Silchar and Karimganj. Silchar is an unreserved seat where Dr. Rajdeep Roy from BJP contested and won the election against incumbent MP Sushmita Dev of Congress. ECI, in its proposal, has proposed to reserve Silchar for the SC and unreserve Karimganj.

Sujit Das Choudhury, President of the Committee, said, “We wholeheartedly welcome the proposal made by the Election Commission of India following the constitutional process. This is a great proposal for the development of the SC community.”

Das added, “I urge the Hindu Bengali population of Barak Valley to support the proposal made by the ECI. This Delimitation is a Suraksha Kavach for the Hindu Bengali population.” When asked how exactly the Delimitation safeguards the future of Hindu Bengali population, Das alluded, currently, only four to five Hindu Bengali manage to win Assembly elections from Barak Valley as the rest are won by Muslim candidates. With the Delimitation in effect, more Hindu candidates will win, according to his estimate. “The Hindu Bengali votes have been consolidated to ensure more Hindus are winning the election,” he explained.

However, Das Choudhury did not explain why exactly the ECI which is an autonomous institution, drafted a proposal at the behest of the Hindu Bengalis and against the Muslim Bengalis.

Das Choudhury was asked for a reaction to the protest echoing in all parts of Barak Valley. For the freshers, the protests aren’t solely against the proposal to reserve Silchar for the SC candidates, but primarily against the decision to bring the representation of Barak Valley down to 13 seats from the existing 15. For a population of over 40 lahks, 13 is too low a representation in Assembly is what is being argued.

The Cachar BJP workers have also questioned the integrity of the Delimitation and termed it “Anti Bengali” in meetings that Rajdeep Roy, MLA Dipayan Chakraborty, attended among others. “Rajdeep-Dipayan protesting doesn’t make a difference, we will have an MP from the house of Kaibarta,” said Sujit Das Choudhury.

“We have more than 2 lakh voters and it is only fair that the seat gets reserved for the SC candidates and a ticket is given to the member of a Kaibarta Family. It will be a matter of Pride to have a Kaibarta emerge as the MP of Silchar,” said the spokesperson of the committee.

Various Political Parties and Social Organisations have called for a Barak Bandh in Silchar on June 27. “We won’t let the Bandh be a success. We will launch a massive protest against the Bandh. It does not matter which Political Party or Social Organisation calls for a protest against the delimitation, we will oppose any counter action. We support the Chief Minister of Assam and the delimitation proposal drafted by the ECI,” asserted Sujit Das Choudhury.