A long-standing public demand in Barak Valley to rename Silchar railway station after the 11 martyrs who laid down their lives during the 1961 language movement has hit a significant roadblock, with the Railway Ministry confirming it has received no proposal from the Assam government on the matter.
The clarification came in response to an RTI application filed by advocate Dharmananda Deb, in which the Railway Ministry stated that no proposal or communication from the Assam government regarding the renaming of Silchar railway station is available in its records.
The ministry's reply made clear that as per existing guidelines, the Ministry of Home Affairs is the competent authority to approve station renaming requests — and that such proposals must be routed through the respective state government.
Since no proposal has been received from the Assam government, the process has not even begun at the central level.
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Eleven language agitators were shot dead by Assam Police on May 19, 1961, at Silchar railway station during the movement to secure official recognition for the Bengali language in Barak Valley — a date now observed as Language Martyrs' Day.
The demand to rename the station as "Bhasha Sahid Station, Silchar" has been a long-standing public cause in the region, with support cutting across party lines. All major political parties have expressed backing for the proposal at various points.
The Axam Xahitya Xabha also formally backed the demand and wrote to the Chief Minister last year following its Silchar convocation, urging the government to expedite the renaming process.
Despite this broad political and cultural consensus, the RTI reply reveals that the state government is yet to initiate even the first formal step required to make the renaming a reality.