Banga Sammelan concludes with resolutions on burning issues

 Special Correspondent

 SILCHAR, March 23: The three day 26th conference of Barak Upatyaka Banga Sahitya O Sanskriti Sammelan (BUBSOSS) concluded here on Sunday. Apart from literary and cultural facets presented before the audiences in the packed auditorium of Banga Bhawan, it was a programme filled conference. Quite remarkable was the intertiol standard discussions on language, besides presentation of folk culture, literary meet and special speeches, felicitation of distinguished persolities.

  Also remarkable was the release of souvenir of the conference along with books, book fare, art exhibition, song, dance, drama, theatrical performance, children-fare, colourful procession, iugural events, meeting of representatives and open session. The organizers have left no stone unturned to make the literary and cultural meet memorable and eventful by presenting all the relevant aspects of Bengali language and culture.

  Eminent literary persolities Bani Basu, Bhagirath Misra, and research scholar Jahirul Hasan from West Bangal as well as well known scholar on Rabindra th Tagore Usharanjan Bhattacharya from Guwahati graced the occasion and added grandeur to it. The conference was iugurated by Debashis Bhattacharjee, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Assam University. A lively and enlightening discussion on Bengali language, literature and culture was organized jointly by Assam University and Banga Sahitya O Sanskriti Sammelan. Research scholars from different places including Bangladesh participated in the discussion.

  The key-note address on related subject was given by poet and essayist Angshuman Kar from Burdwan. Responding to the call of the organizers, appreciable number of people from Barak Valley and beyond attended the three day conference. Significantly, representatives of different communities and tribes were present to showcase their distinct culture and literature. It was in one sense a confluence of the varied culture and literature of this valley which was in fact a welcome move to strengthen the bond of oneness and to carry forward the cultural movement.

  Those who contributed immensely towards the holding of the three day conference and made it memorable were Nitish Bhattacharya, president, central committee, Gautom Prasad Dutta, general secretary, central committee, Paritosh Dey, general secretary, reception committee, and Taimur Raja Choudhury, president, reception committee. All of them expressed their satisfaction at the large turn out of the lovers of language, culture and literature and hoped in future they would keep alive this high tradition of this valley.

  Barak Upatyaka Banga Sahitya O Sanskriti Sammelan in its open session adopted unimously resolutions related to certain crucial issues involving the interests of the people of Barak Valley. Gautom Prasad Dutta, general secretary of BUBSOSS, read out the resolutions for the information of the general assembly in the auditorium with distinguished persolities from the are of literature and culture on the dais.

  The NRC update was taken up whose process was deeply resented and both the Centre and the State were urged upon to review it and make it easy and free from any complications. The documents sought for from the people in general were difficult to produce. The cases of those uprooted from East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, needed to be considered seriously as their most of the documents to establish their bofide were either burnt or damaged in fire or any other man made calamity.

  Along with that the spectre of ‘D’ voter was another matter that had become a cause of witch-hunting for the linguistic and religious minorities. Already, thousands of people had been branded ‘D’ voters and their mes deleted from the electoral lists. The situation was building up where the minorities would become victims of harassment again and it was apprehended that a conspiracy might be brewing to deprive them of their fundamental rights to vote. The resolution adopted in this respect called upon the representatives of people to take up the issue with the Centre and the State for smoothening the process of NRC update. The BUBSOSS was also thinking of forming a legal cell to deal with the issue.

  The AASU’s demand for 100% reservation of seats in the State Assembly for the sons of the soil was vehemently opposed which was described as detrimental to the unity and integrity of Assam. It was brought to the fore that Assam is a multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-religious state and any attempt to implement the unjustified demand of AASU would only pave the way for the disintegration of the state. No opinion of the people of Barak Valley was obtained. It itself was an ominous sign.

  To implement the clause 6 of Assam Accord as insisted on by AASU and like organizations of Brahmaputra Valley without having any discussion on the emotive issue with the representatives of various linguistic groups would be disastrous, one of the resolutions cautioned and appealed to AASU to desist from such demand. It was further cautioned that language aggression would no more be tolerated and it was well articulated by the Speaker of the House, Prab Gogoi. Any move to impose Assamese in Barak Valley would push the people of this region to go for separation from Assam.

  The open session was also seized with the important issue of communication and the State Government led by Tarun Gogoi came in for lambasting. As a retaliation to the decision of the Centre not to extend East-West Corridor or Mahasadak to Sadiya, the State Government was blocking the 31 km stretch of the Highway between Balacherra and Harangajao on the lame excuse of Borail Wild Life Sanctuary. It was once again a glaring example of the anti Barak people attitude of Tarun Gogoi Government. The demand for autonomous economic development council was reiterated in the open session.