Silchar: In protest against the branding of Bengalis as “Bangladeshis” simply for speaking in Bangla — a pretext used to label Bengalis working in various parts of the country as foreigners, subject them to administrative and political persecution, evict them from their homes, push them towards the border — and against the objectionable remarks made by Amit Malviya regarding the Bangla language and Bengali identity, the Barak Upatyaka Banga Sahitya O Sanskriti Sammelan has called for protest sit-in programmes tomorrow, Wednesday, in the three main towns of the valley: Silchar, Sribhumi, and Hailakandi.

The organisation has urged not only those associated with literature and culture but also people from all sections of society to join the programme. It has already begun mobilising public opinion on the issue, said Gautam Prasad Dutta, the central general secretary of Barak Banga.

In a statement on Monday, General Secretary Dutta said that incidents of harassment and physical assault in various parts of the country merely for speaking Bangla have become a cause for grave concern. The situation in Upper Assam is also becoming increasingly alarming.

Not only are threats being issued to evict people from their homes, but in many places, some extremist nationalist organisations are also obstructing the use of the Bangla language. The administration has taken little to no action to rein in such forces.

On the other hand, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya has made objectionable and unwarranted comments about the Bangla language, the Sylheti dialect, and Bengali identity. Although strong protests have been voiced from various quarters, he has not withdrawn his statement.

In this context, the Sammelan has called for protest sit-ins on Wednesday. In Silchar, the sit-in will be held at the foot of the Khudiram statue from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. In Sribhumi, it will take place at Shambhu Sagar Park, and in Hailakandi, at the Bhasha Shahid Memorial premises.

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