SVBITA Chairman Issues Apology: BDF remarks "Written Apology Not Enough"

A significant turn of events unfolded in the region of Barak Valley following a controversial statement by Mr. I.B. Ubadia, Chairman of the Surma Valley Branch Indian Tea Association (SVBITA). The situation escalated to the extent that Debayan Deb of the Barak Democratic Front lodged an official complaint with the Cachar Police. Moreover, the people of the region expressed their disappointment over the statement through social media.

Ubadia’s statement regarding the encroachment of Tea Garden areas, where he allegedly referred to the encroachers as Bangladeshi immigrants and implied that Barak Valley is filled with illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, did not sit well with the people of Barak Valley. Consequently, many expressed their dissatisfaction and demanded an apology from him.

On February 6, Mr. I.B. Ubadia shared a video statement along with a written apology, expressing regret for his words. He remarked that he is not great with words and thus ended up making a mistake. He clarified that he did not intend to hurt the sentiments of the people of Barak Valley and apologised accordingly. While he maintained his stance on the issue of encroachment, he retracted his assumption that the encroachers were Bangladeshis, admitting that he should not have made such an assumption without proper evidence.

Highlighting his four and a half decades of work in the land of Barak, he referred to it as his “Kormobhoomi” and emphasised that he could not fathom intentionally hurting anyone in the region. In the video statement, he mentioned that during the SVBITA meeting, various issues concerning the Tea Garden areas, particularly regarding climate change and its effects on the tea gardens, were discussed. He believed that some individuals took a small part of his statement out of context, leading to the controversy.

Meanwhile, the Barak Democratic Front, in a press conference, expressed their viewpoint that while they appreciate Ubadia’s written apology, it is insufficient. They demanded a public apology through a proper press conference, asserting that the statement was not merely a result of poor articulation but potentially influenced by political motives.

They alleged that the statement was made to stir unrest in the region for political gain. Furthermore, they drew attention to allegations against Minister Parimal Suklabaidya, suggesting that if encroachment of land makes one Bangladeshi immigrant, then the Minister’s actions in the alleged encroachment of land in Roskandi Tea Estate area for purposes other than tea cultivation should also be scrutinised. The statement claims that a fishery belonging to Minister Parimal Suklabaidya is made on encroached land. They further asked whether this means that Minister Parimal Suklabaidya is also a Bangladeshi.

The Barak Democratic Front emphasised the need for another apology from Mr. I.B. Ubadia, this time in a public press conference, to address the insult perceived by the people of the region. They warned that if he fails to do so, they will organise demonstrations, protests, and dharnas against him.