In this world of globalisation and advancement, we tend to learn a number of languages for expanding our boundary of communication. But there is only one language which makes us aware of our identity and culture, it is our mother tongue. It is that language which makes us unique among others. We become the most comfortable while speaking it. It also permits our freedom of expression to the greatest extent. People certainly love their own mother tongue and do have the right to read and write in it. However, there are certain instances in history about the efforts made to deprive them of this right and the unwanted consequences that followed.
One such story is of the Bhasha Andolon (Language Movement) of Barak Valley in Assam where eleven bravehearts laid down their lives for the love for their mother tongue (Sylheti-Bengali).
In April 1960, a proposal was raised at the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee to declare Assamese as the only official language of the state and on 10th October, the then Chief Minister of the state presented a bill in the legislative assembly for that cause. Ranendra Mohan Das, the legislator of Karimganj and a true Bengali, protested against the bill as they attempted to impose the language of one-third population to the other two-third population of the state. On 24th October, the bill was passed making Assamese as the one and only official language of the state.
On February 1961, the Cachar Gana Sangram Parishad was formed to protest aginst the imposition of Assamese in the Barak Valley. Many people particiapted in different processions and mass awareness programs around the three districts of Barak Valley (Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi). After conducting several processions in different districts, Rathindranath Sen, the chief of the Parishad declared to observe a complete Hartal (strike) on 19th May from dawn to dusk if Bengali was not approved as the official language of Barak Valley by 13th May. They also appealed for the recognition of the languages of other linguistic minorities.
On 18th May, the Assam police arrested three prominent leaders of the movement, namely, Nalinikanta Das, Rathindranath Sen and Bidhubhushan Chowdhury.
As the voices remained unheard and leaders were arrested, the main hartal was started on 19th May. Picketting started very early in the morning. In Karimganj, the protestors picketed in front of government offices, court and railway station. In Silchar, the protestors picketed in the railway station. The morning passed off without any violent actions. In the afternoon, the Assam Rifles arrived at the railway station. At around 2:30 PM, a truck, carrying some arrested protestors from Katigorah, was passing by the Tarapur Railway Station and seeing this, the protestors in the railway station became furious and gathered around the truck. The truck driver and the policeman gaurding the truck fled the spot. After everyone fled the truck, an unidentified man set the truck on fire. A fire fighting team hurried to the spot to control the fire and after a few minutes, the paramilitary forces present there started beating the protestors with batons and rifle butts. Then, they fired around seventeen rounds of bullet in the crowd. Twelve people got wounded and were taken to the hospital. Nine of them died on that day and two died later. On 20th May, the people of Silchar carried out a rally with the dead bodies of nine martyrs as a mark of protest.
After that extremely painful incident, the Assam Government had to withdraw the bill and Bengali was finally approved as the official language of Barak Valley.
Since then, the day of 19th May has been celebrated as Bhasha Shahid Divas. Every year, on this day, the people of Barak Valley organise rallies and cultural programs in the memory of the eleven martyrs who sacrificed their lives for their right to get formal education in their mother tongue. People also light eleven candles on the name of the martyrs at their houses.
There is a Martyrs' tomb, known as Shahid Minar, erected in Silchar. In 2011, a bronze statue of Kamala Bhattacharjee (one of the martyrs) was inaugurated at Chhotelal Seth Institute under the initiative of Shahid Kamala Bhattacharjee Murti Sthapana Committee.
Today, on 19th May, we the family of Tathya Panjika, pay homage to the martyrs and all other people involved in the Bhasha Andolon by trying to put forward their struggles in this short article.
Some Alphabets of Bengali Language
One such story is of the Bhasha Andolon (Language Movement) of Barak Valley in Assam where eleven bravehearts laid down their lives for the love for their mother tongue (Sylheti-Bengali).
In April 1960, a proposal was raised at the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee to declare Assamese as the only official language of the state and on 10th October, the then Chief Minister of the state presented a bill in the legislative assembly for that cause. Ranendra Mohan Das, the legislator of Karimganj and a true Bengali, protested against the bill as they attempted to impose the language of one-third population to the other two-third population of the state. On 24th October, the bill was passed making Assamese as the one and only official language of the state.
On February 1961, the Cachar Gana Sangram Parishad was formed to protest aginst the imposition of Assamese in the Barak Valley. Many people particiapted in different processions and mass awareness programs around the three districts of Barak Valley (Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi). After conducting several processions in different districts, Rathindranath Sen, the chief of the Parishad declared to observe a complete Hartal (strike) on 19th May from dawn to dusk if Bengali was not approved as the official language of Barak Valley by 13th May. They also appealed for the recognition of the languages of other linguistic minorities.
On 18th May, the Assam police arrested three prominent leaders of the movement, namely, Nalinikanta Das, Rathindranath Sen and Bidhubhushan Chowdhury.
As the voices remained unheard and leaders were arrested, the main hartal was started on 19th May. Picketting started very early in the morning. In Karimganj, the protestors picketed in front of government offices, court and railway station. In Silchar, the protestors picketed in the railway station. The morning passed off without any violent actions. In the afternoon, the Assam Rifles arrived at the railway station. At around 2:30 PM, a truck, carrying some arrested protestors from Katigorah, was passing by the Tarapur Railway Station and seeing this, the protestors in the railway station became furious and gathered around the truck. The truck driver and the policeman gaurding the truck fled the spot. After everyone fled the truck, an unidentified man set the truck on fire. A fire fighting team hurried to the spot to control the fire and after a few minutes, the paramilitary forces present there started beating the protestors with batons and rifle butts. Then, they fired around seventeen rounds of bullet in the crowd. Twelve people got wounded and were taken to the hospital. Nine of them died on that day and two died later. On 20th May, the people of Silchar carried out a rally with the dead bodies of nine martyrs as a mark of protest.
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| The list of eleven martyrs |
Since then, the day of 19th May has been celebrated as Bhasha Shahid Divas. Every year, on this day, the people of Barak Valley organise rallies and cultural programs in the memory of the eleven martyrs who sacrificed their lives for their right to get formal education in their mother tongue. People also light eleven candles on the name of the martyrs at their houses.
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| The Bhasha Shahid Memorial at Silchar Railway Station |
There is a Martyrs' tomb, known as Shahid Minar, erected in Silchar. In 2011, a bronze statue of Kamala Bhattacharjee (one of the martyrs) was inaugurated at Chhotelal Seth Institute under the initiative of Shahid Kamala Bhattacharjee Murti Sthapana Committee.
Today, on 19th May, we the family of Tathya Panjika, pay homage to the martyrs and all other people involved in the Bhasha Andolon by trying to put forward their struggles in this short article.
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