Bishnupriya Manipuri students observe hunger strike

A CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR, Feb 15: A large number of Bishnupriya Manipuri students under the banner of Nikhil Bishnupriya Manipuri Students’ Union (NBMSU) and Bishnupriya Manipuri Gasangram Parishad (BMGP) today observed daylong hunger strike before the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar to press their demand for inclusion of Bishnupriya Manipuri language in the syllabus of Board of Secondary Education, Assam, and Assam Higher Secondary Education Council. Other organizations which supported the cause included Bishnupriya Manipuri Ex-servicemen Organization, Bishnupriya Manipuri Women Organization and Bishnupriya Manipuri Language Teaching Diploma Holders Association.

Dipu Sinha, president of NBMSU, justifying the demand said they have been for a longtime demanding inclusion of their mother tongue in the syllabus of Board of Secondary Education, Assam, and Assam Higher Secondary Education Council. They have been, in fact, fighting for their constitutiol right to education through their mother tongue Bishnupriya Manipuri. He said it is unfortute that the language of every other community has been accommodated in the syllabus of SEBA and AHSEC, but their mother tongue has not been given any recognition.

This has deprived the students of the community to study their mother tongue as MIL in the secondary and higher secondary stage of education. This is a denial of their constitutiol and fundamental right, pointed out Dipu Sinha. A memorandum on the issue was sent to the Education Minister of Assam through the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar on February 9, for his consideration and necessary action. As it remains un-responded, the student bodies have no other option than to sit for hunger strike this day. The memorandum was repeated and sent to the Education Minister today.