Train to Barak Valley
It was a historic day, finally, after a long time the Barak valley got connected to the Brahmaputra valley and entire India through railway connectivity.
After all, the entire Assam was dipping the toe in the holy water of development. An express train came clattering along the line across the platform of Silchar Railway station minimizing the distance between the Brahmaputra and Barak valley boosting activities both socially and economically. However, even though the geographical distance among the two valleys declined, the distance of hearts started widening within a short time. In the aftermath of NRC and the recent episode of the citizenship bill, the situation turned to simmer between the two valleys unfolding the age-old wound.
Recently, while booking a ticket at the railway counter, I heard one saying “Silchar is a part of Assam. Still, you can,t speak Assamese?” After, listening to this I wondered why it is compulsory to Know speaking Assamese? If it is mandatory, then knowing Bengali should also become mandatory because both the languages represent Assam.
It was in the year 1947 when Barak valley was annexed to Assam after a series of the referendum. But the age-old rift started in 1960 when the Congress government in Assam decided to make Assamese the state sole official language which resulted in the death of 11 people who were protesting against this step. The two valleys in the state undoubtedly present a diversified culture of the state, Brahmaputra valley being dominated by Assamese speakers whereas the Barak valley dominated by Bengali speakers.
The current debate in the state which was focused on the issue of Indian versus illegal foreigners recently seems to turn the tide towards Assamese versus non-Assamese with the various news about Bengali speakers being targeted, the recent one is Tinsukia killings where a group of Bengali people was shot dead. The debate which seems to hover around who is Assamese or non-Assamese should definitely not be based on the language spoken in the state instead, it must be seen through the lens of diversity which is the current identity of Assam. Even today, the fact which is undeniable is that a lot of Bengali speaking people are looked as suspicious foreigners in the Brahmaputra valley and a few screwed minded people are quick enough to refer them as “Bongya”, a degratory word hurled at Bengali's In Assam. They are the people of those clubs who believe that Bengali's are a threat to Assamese culture in the state which is an argument that can’t be seen as reliable. When these arguments had buyers in the past, the state witnessed a dark period from 1960,s to 1980,s. That was the period when large-scale killings were sponsored against the Bengali population including the Nellie massacre in 1983. The political appeasement also made the scenario worst since Indira Gandhi in 1983 decided to give voting rights to around 4 million refugees just before the assembly elections which during Assam movement made the scenario worst among the two valleys.
Now, the bid to introduce citizenship bill can turn into a political mistake which may bring out negative outcomes and can take Assam to the same unwanted period further dividing Barak and Brahmaputra valley. In Addition to that, ULFA which is no more popular among the people of Brahmaputra valley can reposition itself among the Assamese people which can prove costly for the state.
The people of Assam, be it Brahmaputra valley or Barak valley, they want to put a fight against illegal foreigners not against each other but those who are putting effort to bring a regional divide don’t understand what damage they are causing to the state.
