Barak Democratic Front Condemns Convention of Bangla Sahitya Sabha: Calls for Arrest of Culprits

In a recent development in Assam, an organisation called Bangla Sahitya Sabha has come into the limelight. One of its conventions has caused a stir in the state. The convention included a controversial act of tearing Assamese gamusas and joining them with Bengali gamchas, which were then presented as a stole to the Education Minister and Cultural Affairs Minister of Assam.

Pradip Dutta Roy, the Chief Convenor of Barak Democratic Front (BDF), has strongly condemned the incident, calling it a “shameful” act. As per Roy, Assamese gamusas are a source of pride for the Assamese and are known worldwide for their cultural significance. On the other hand, Bengali gamchas are commonly used in various religious ceremonies and by farmers.

Roy, who was previously jailed for protesting against Assamese signboard put up at Silchar Railway Station, questioned the government’s silence on the blackening of Assamese signboards in Bodoland. He accused the government of trying to create unrest between the Bengali and Assamese communities, despite there being no conflict between them.

Furthermore, Roy criticized the government’s allocation of 40,000 jobs, of which only 107 were given to Barak Valley residents. He suggested that this disparity in job opportunities was evidence of the government’s bias towards the Barak Valley Bengalis. Roy demanded the arrest of those responsible for tearing the Assamese gamusas, and warned that failure to do so would indicate government involvement in creating division between Bengalis.

Roy also accused Shiladitya Dev, a Bengali politician, of being a “disgrace” to the Bengali community. He stated that there would never be a union between the Bengalis of the Brahmaputra Valley and Bengalis of Barak Valley and questioned why Bengali medium schools in Brahmaputra Valley were closing.