Silchar: A heartfelt tribute ceremony was held at Banga Bhawan in Silchar on Monday to honour the memory of Jagan and Jishu two martyrs of the 1986 language movement who laid down their lives opposing the imposition of Assamese as a compulsory language in the education system of Barak Valley.

The event, organised by the Silchar Town Regional Committee of the Barak Banga, served both as a commemoration and a reminder of the continuing challenges faced by the Bengali-speaking community.

Gautam Prasad Dutta, General Secretary of the Conference’s Central Committee, delivered a powerful address, stating that while the sacrifices of 1961 and 1986 were monumental, the struggle for linguistic dignity is far from resolved.

“Linguistic aggression hasn’t ended it has simply evolved into more subtle and complex forms,” Dutta warned, urging the Bengali community to stay vigilant and united in safeguarding their language rights.

He further pointed to an internal threat, stating, “It’s not just outside forces working against Bengalis. A section of Bengali speakers, driven by narrow self-interest, are actively aiding this aggression. They are even more dangerous.”

Echoing these sentiments, Milon Uddin Laskar, Joint Secretary of the Central Committee, expressed concern over internal divisions within the Bengali community. He recalled the Assam Movement, noting how during the agitation to identify and expel so-called foreigners, many Bengali Muslims remained silent, assuming the crackdown would only affect Hindu Bengalis. “Some even chose to identify as ‘Nava Asomiya’ (New Assamese),” Laskar said.

“Today, when Bengali Muslims are being arrested and pushed back without being allowed to show documents, Hindu Bengalis are dismissing it as just a Muslim issue. This divided response will never solve the problem. Linguistic oppression must be recognised as a collective issue for all Bengalis.”

The event saw the participation of several prominent cultural and literary figures. Among them were Regional Secretary Sushanta Sen, Seemanta Bhattacharjee, Saibal Gupta, Ranjit Choudhury, and Sabyasachi Rudragupta, who addressed the gathering with powerful words of remembrance and caution.

Musical tributes were rendered by Bapi Roy and Sanjay Deb Laskar, while poet Randhir Chakraborty recited a Rabindranath Tagore composition. Poet Shipra Dey also paid homage by presenting her original poem dedicated to the martyrs.

Notable attendees included Dr. Subhasish Roy Choudhury, Amal Das, and Uttam Kumar Saha, along with other members of the academic and cultural fraternity.

The programme concluded with a strong and united call for linguistic solidarity, urging the Bengali-speaking population of Barak Valley to stand together in preserving their cultural identity and resisting every form of linguistic imposition.