Axam Xahitya Xabha to Raise Voice for Barak’s 1961 Language Martyrs

A CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR: In a clear and decisive message, a 15 member delegation of the Axam Xahitya Xabha, led by its President Basanta Kumar Goswami, joined the people of the Barak Valley in paying tributes to 11 language martyrs who were gunned down by the Assam Police in 1961. For the first time since then, the Axam Xahitya Xabha, the influential apex body of Assamese literature and culture, participated in the May 19 Language Martyrs day.

Axam Xahitya Xabha along with Bangla Xahitya Xabha, Assam, in their three-day visit to the Barak Valley, declared their support to the long-due demands of the Barak Valley to accord the status of martyrs to those killed in 1961 and renaming of the Silchar Railway Station as ‘Bhasha Shahid Station, Silchar.’ Goswami in his speech as well as address in the press meet reiterated that time had arrived for both the valleys to rise above what had happened in the past and that the two major linguistic communities should concentrate on cementing the bridges between the valleys. Goswami said that the Axam Xahitya Xabha would place a ‘request to the government ‘ on May 22 and then ‘demand’ the renaming of the Silchar Railway Station as well as recognition of the martyrs. Goswami urged the people of the Barak Valley to include Xahitya Xabha as their ally.

Ministers Kaushik Rai, Krishnendu Paul, and MLA Dipayan Chakrabarty hailed the step taken by Xahitya Xabha. Addressing a programme at Silchar Railway Station organized by Bhasha Shahid Smarak Samity, both Paul and Rai said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the state had been witnessing a well-knit social structure in Assam where all the communities get equal respect. Paul criticised the erstwhile Congress government for creating fissures amongst various communities as well as valleys for their nasty political design.

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Susmita Dev too welcomed the approach the Xahitya Xabha extended. However, she added that the Xabha was also expected to condemn some outfits in the Brahmaputra Valley which had threatened the Bengalis in the recent past. Reminding that the case of language martyrs were recognized by the government as criminal cases which were still pending, Dev said that the government could withdraw the cases in a second and Xahitya Xabha should raise its voice for that.

Barak Democratic Front, while welcoming the Xahitya Xabha, demanded apology from Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary for labelling the martyrs as ‘criminals’ in his speech in the Assembly.

Meanwhile, various organizations observed the Martyrs Day with a series of programmes ranging from paying floral tributes at Silchar Smashan, railway station, Gandhibagh, to organizing seminars, cultural functions, etc.

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