A CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR: Within a span of two weeks, Silchar witnessed a large demonstration and submissions of two memoranda by the Bishnupriya Manipuris demanding an autonomous council for the community.
In the first week of January, the Manipuri Autonomous Council Demand Coordination Committee brought out a rally in Silchar and handed over a memorandum to the district commissioner addressing the chief minister. This week, Bishnupriya Manipuri Sainik Welfare Organization (BMSWO) sent a memorandum to the chief minister placing the same demand.
Manimohan Sinha, President, and RK Chandrakanta Sinha, General Secretary of BMSWO, in the letter to the chief minister highlighted the reasons behind their demand for an autonomous council. Maintaining that UNESCO had listed Bishnupriya Manipuri as an endangered language, BMSWO said that a development council for the community was allocated in 2010-11 by the then state government, but it had failed to meet the aspirations of the community due to poor financial planning and structure. Though the community is recognized as OBC in Assam and declared as an indigenous community by the High Power Committee Report of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord in 2020, Bishnupriya Manipuris, in spite of having a sizeable population, have no political representation in the State Assembly.
Highlighting these issues, BMSWO urged upon the government to take special interest so that designated villages of the Bishnupriya Manipuri were not misrepresented or claimed by any other community. BMSWO further asked the government to ensure legislative and administrative safeguard to protect, preserve, and promote the land, tradition, socio-cultural identity, linguistic heritage, and overall welfare of the Bishnupriya Manipuri people. BMSWO requested the chief minister to place the matter before his Cabinet and approve the creation of the Bishnupriya Manipuri Autonomous Council.
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