Organization demands compulsory use of Bengali in Cachar

SILCHAR, July 24: Barak Upatyaka Banga Sahitya O Sanskriti Sammelan demanded full fledged implementation of Assam State Language Act of 1960, one of the amendments of which recognizes Bengali as the official language in Cachar and also in Barak Valley. The members of the organization today submitted a memorandum to the Cachar Deputy Commissioner, requesting him to put the Act into operation in the district and thus making Bengali as one of the official languages. The delegation comprising Taimur Raja Choudhury, district president, Dipak Sengupta, district secretary, Gautam Prasad Dutta, secretary, central committee, Dinendra Narayan Biswas, vice–president, among others told the Deputy Commissioner that there was no use of Bengali in official forms, advertisement hoardings, birth and death certificates, name plates, notice boards and other official matters which they termed as “very unfortunate.” Dipak Sengupta said that a series of conflict had been held across the State centering round the implementation of Assam State Language Act, 1960. Eleven martyrs had laid down their lives at Silchar Railway Station for the sake of their mother tongue Bengali, which came under assault from the State. He said that Section 5 of Assam Act XVIII, 1961, safeguards the use of Bengali in the Cachar district. It says, “Without prejudice to the provisions contained in Section 3, the Bengali language shall be used for administrative and other official purposes up to and including district level.” Sengupta said that they did not have any abhorrence towards any languages of the State. But, as most of the people living in the district speak in Bengali and also recognized as the official language of Cachar by the different Acts and laws, therefore the language should be used in all official purposes. Signboards, official forms, birth and death certificates, advertisements, etc should be in Bengali in the district.' (SentinelAssam)