Barak groups flay State BJP president for 'Assamese' remark

SILCHAR, April 23: Various organizations have described the call of the state BJP president Siddhartha Bhattacharya to all sections of linguistic and religious minority communities to consider themselves as ‘Assamese’ as most provocative. To hit back, All Cachar-Karimganj-Hailakandi Students’ Association (ACKHSA) at a press-meet here today dubbed the statement of Bhattacharya before the journalists on the issue as most ‘unwanted, unwarranted and parochial’ which according to Rupam Nandi Purkayastha, advisor of the organization, ‘smacks of a deep conspiracy’ to brand people of other communities as foreigners if they fail to call themselves Assamese.
The state BJP president singled out during his press-meet ‘Bengalis’ and advised them to accept themselves as ‘Assamese’. But, it got wider connotation and other linguistic groups joined a protest demonstration before the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar organized by Nagarikatwa Suraksha Sangram Committee, condemning the statement. The organizations and associations on boil have also taken exception to his observation just when NRC update is on.
Nagarikatwa Suraksha Sangram Committee, a conglomeration of various organizations represented by the well known personalities of the three districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi, has laid stress on the solution of certain issues before taking up NRC update. Sashank Shekhar Paul, one of the conveners of the Committee, pointed out update of NRC has to be taken up in Assam simultaneously with the rest of the country, the complicated ‘D’ voters issue should be resolved and any admissible document be accepted as evidence.
Besides, Okram Churamani Singha, advisor of the Sangram Committee, forcefully pleaded for accepting circumstantial evidence as per the law with the same importance as any other admissible document for NRC. He at the same time reminded the authorities at the helm of affairs that they could hardly ignore the national commitment, international agreements as well as the assurances of the frontline leaders after Independence for updation. Moreover, the problem of refugees or displaced persons has to be looked into from humanitarian point of view.
Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist), SUCI(C), Cachar district committee, has also hit out at Siddhartha Bhattacharya for the most provoking statement and reminded him that Assam is a multilingual and multireligious state. Every linguistic group has the right to protect its language and culture. Such kind of statement will only add fuel to the disruptive and divisive elements already active. Ajoy Roy, convener of SUCI (C), imputed motive to the statement of Siddhartha Bhattacharya to strengthen the aggressive mindset and weaken the unity and solidarity of the state.
Ajoy Roy further recalled the fragmentation of the greater Assam, leading to the creation of several states due mainly to the ‘extreme Assamese attitude towards other linguistic groups and their culture’. He did not miss to lash out the BJP leaders of Cachar district unit for silently swallowing the observation of their state president. Though the BJP leaders of Barak Valley speak of protecting the interests of linguistic minorities, their silence on the provocative statement of Siddhartha Bhattacharya seems ‘intriguing’. (Source:SentinelAssam)

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