The Barak Tour of Asam Sahitya Sabha: Will This Journey of Harmony Reach Its Desired Path?

Under the leadership of Asam Sahitya Sabha President Basanta Kumar Goswami, a delegation recently completed a three-day tour of Barak Valley. The delegation visited Hailakandi, Sribhumi, and Silchar. It has been suggested that this journey aimed to build harmony between the state’s two valleys.

Decades after the language movement, the visit of Assam’s largest literary organisation to Barak Valley and their act of honouring the language martyrs has, to some extent, helped soothe the wounds that were inflicted on the hearts of the people here during that time. The conscious citizens of the valley have warmly welcomed the positive attitude of the office bearers of the Asam Sahitya Sabha. This is especially significant because earlier, instead of harmony, efforts were made to sustain a climate of conflict.

However, the question that lingers in my mind, based on a few incidents that I will discuss later, is whether this journey of harmony will truly find its desired path. Personally, I believe the people of this valley can participate in this journey of harmony while preserving their dignity. It is crucial, however, that no compromise is made in the process.

During the 1961 Language Movement, on May 19, eleven young men and women were martyred by police firing at Silchar Railway Station. This is why there has been a long-standing demand to rename Silchar Railway Station as Bhasha Shahid Station (Language Martyrs Station). Although both the Union Home Ministry and the Railway Ministry approved this demand, the matter has remained stalled due to the lack of consent from the state government.

The Railway Ministry merely asked the state government how the new name should be written. But the state government did not respond to the Railway Ministry’s letter. Later, it was observed that a ghost-like organisation was made to speak out against this demand. However, in reality, people from all linguistic communities of Barak Valley support this demand. Everyone wants Silchar Railway Station to be renamed Bhasha Shahid Station.

The delegation of the Asam Sahitya Sabha has supported this demand. After offering floral tributes at the Martyrs’ Memorial, the President of the Sabha, Basanta Kumar Goswami, stated that he would speak to the state government to ensure the demand is fulfilled. His positive stance is truly encouraging.

There is no political disagreement regarding the renaming of the railway station—nor should there be. Renaming the station would be an acknowledgement of the reality of the language struggle in this valley. Nowhere else in the world have so many people become martyrs in a movement to protect their language rights. Therefore, fulfilling this demand is not only justified but also a reflection of a healthy and respectful mindset.

Along with the delegation from Asam Sahitya Sabha, a team from Bangla Sahitya Sabha, Assam, also visited the region on the occasion of Language Martyrs’ Day. A discussion was held at Assam University involving both delegations. During the event, Basanta Kumar Goswami expressed his desire to strengthen the path of harmony in the greater interest of the state. As the president of a literary organisation, he delivered exactly the kind of speech expected from someone in his position. There was no room for controversy in his remarks, nor any reason to doubt his genuine intentions.

However, controversy erupted when Prashanta Chakraborty, an official from the Bangla Sahitya Sabha, Assam, took the stage and stated that Assam University was a product of the Assam Movement. That one sentence disrupted the tone of the gathering and sparked debate. His comment can be seen as an unnecessary attempt to reopen old wounds.

Acting Vice Chancellor Ashok Sen immediately refuted Prashanta Chakraborty’s claim, stating that Assam University is not a product of the Assam Movement. He clarified that it was the result of a separate movement led by the people of this region demanding their own university. He emphasised that the true history should not be suppressed.

There appears to be a deliberate attempt to distort the history of Assam University’s establishment, and a political agenda seems to be at play. When his statement caused controversy, Prashanta Chakraborty tried to defend it by claiming that former Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had made the same remark. But this is factually incorrect and cannot be presented as a valid reference. Prashanta also claimed to have sourced this information from the Assam Government’s website.

We have seen, in recent times, certain individuals from other organisations make similar claims that Assam University was a result of the Assam Movement. These people seem intent on erasing the history of the mass movement in Barak Valley that led to the university’s founding. They are now trying to establish the narrative that the Central University in Silchar emerged as an outcome of the Assam Movement. Such statements deeply wound the self-respect of the people of Barak Valley.

The people of Barak Valley are well aware that during the Assam Movement, students from this region faced various forms of harassment while studying at the two universities in the Brahmaputra Valley. Fearing for their lives, many were forced to abandon their studies and return home. In this situation, the establishment of a university in the Barak Valley became a vital necessity.

In 1983, during a meeting held at Silchar Law College attended by student representatives from all colleges in the Barak Valley, a student organisation named ACKHSA (All Cachar Karimganj Hailakandi Students’ Association) was formed. The objective of this organisation was to fight for the establishment of a separate Central University in the region. This reporter was entrusted with the responsibility of serving as ACKHSA’s president during that meeting. Following this, several meetings were held across the valley, and various protest programs were launched.

Seeing the intensity of ACKHSA’s movement, then Member of Parliament Santosh Mohan Dev acknowledged the need for a university, saying that while a Central University might not be possible, a state-level university should certainly be established. However, the protestors remained firm on their demand for a Central University. As support for the demand grew across all communities and political lines, Santosh Mohan Dev publicly declared, “If the people of my region are demanding a Central University, I cannot stay away from that demand.”

Later, when Rajiv Gandhi sanctioned the Central University in Silchar, Members of Parliament from the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) strongly protested in Parliament. The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) from the Brahmaputra Valley also opposed the move and even called for an Assam-wide bandh on the day the foundation stone was to be laid. To resolve the tensions, the central government was eventually compelled to sanction another Central University in Tezpur.

However, after the Central University was approved in Silchar, the then Chief Minister, Hiteswar Saikia, personally took the initiative to arrange land for the institution.

When the university movement gained momentum, the major student organisation ABSU (All Bodo Students’ Union) fully supported the demand. ACKHSA also expressed its support for ABSU’s demand for a separate state. After the Central University was granted to Silchar, the University Grants Commission (UGC) stated that it was not possible to grant a Central University to any region with a population of less than one crore (10 million). At that time, ABSU declared that the Bodo-dominated region had the support of 40 lakh (4 million) people. Along with that, the states of Tripura and Mizoram also supported the demand by writing letters of endorsement. It was after this that the complications surrounding the establishment of the university were resolved.

After the establishment of this university, students from the Brahmaputra Valley, including Assamese and Bodo students, began coming here to study. Due to the peaceful environment and high standard of education at the university, they chose this university for their higher studies.

Regarding the demand to introduce Assamese as a subject at the university, it is worth noting that the Diphu campus of the university has already introduced Assamese as a subject. It cannot be introduced at the Silchar campus because none of the colleges in this region offer Assamese as a subject; hence, there is no student demand for it. To launch a new subject, the number of available seats must be matched by the number of interested students. If that condition is met, the university authorities have no reason to be unwilling to offer the subject.

In my opinion, this issue is being raised just to stir up unnecessary controversy.

Dr. Basanta Kumar Goswami, President of the Asam Sahitya Sabha, is a man of liberal values. His longstanding wish has been to bring a permanent end to the mental divide that has developed between the Barak and Brahmaputra Valleys. A deeper fraternal relationship between the people of the two valleys would contribute positively to the development of the state. With this vision, he visited Barak Valley along with representatives from the Bangla Sahitya Sabha, Assam.

However, the organisational presence of the Bangla Sahitya Sabha in Barak Valley is not very strong. In this region, there are several prominent organisations such as the Barak Upatyaka Banga Sahitya O Sanskriti Sammelan, Nikhil Bharat Banga Sahitya Sammelan, International Bangla Bhasha Manch, Vishwa Banga Sammelan, Sammilita Sanskritik Mancha, and the social organisation Rupam, which represent the majority of people in the valley. Building bridges of unity and coordination with these organisations through dialogue is essential. Expanding the scope of unity cannot be achieved by presenting statements that hurt the sentiments of any group—such an approach would only make the path more thorny.

The vast majority of people in Barak Valley wish to build cordial relationships with other linguistic communities while preserving their own dignity and self-respect. If there is any incorrect information regarding the Language Movement or the University Movement of this region on government websites, then that too must be corrected. Forming a blueprint for solidarity by undermining the dignity of any community is never justifiable.

The initiative for unity taken by the Asam Sahitya Sabha must not be derailed by political deception and confusion—this is something everyone needs to be cautious about. The state government must keep in mind that Barak is not Goalpara. If the self-respect of this valley is hurt, its people know how to raise their voice in protest. A lingering question in my mind is whether the political architects will truly allow the Asam Sahitya Sabha’s initiative for unity to move in the desired direction.

[The views expressed are personal to the author]