Barak remembers language martyrs

Silchar: Barak Valley on Tuesday observed the 65th anniversary of historic ‘Unishe May’, commemorating the sacrifice of 11 language martyrs who were killed in police firing at Silchar railway station in 1961 while protesting against the imposition of Assamese on the Bengali-speaking population of the valley.A series of programmes were organised across the valley by various organisations, including Sammilito Sanskritik Manch, Barak Upotyaka Banga Sahitya O Sanskriti Sammelan, Bhasha Shahid Station Shahid Smaran Samiti, Matri Bhasha Suraksha Samiti, District Sports Association (DSA), Assam University Silchar, along with several schools and social bodies.The day began with a massive procession joined by public representatives, politicians cutting across party lines, social workers, cultural activists, teachers, students and citizens. The procession moved through the main streets of Silchar before culminating at the town crematorium.Hundreds of people from different walks of life gathered at Silchar railway station at 6 am and paid floral tributes at the Martyrs’ Column, marking the site where the 11 protesters lost their lives in police firing. Later, tributes were also paid at the 11 Martyrs’ memorial columns at Silchar crematorium. At around 2.30 pm, political leaders, senior government officials and residents assembled at Shahid Smriti Saudh in Gandhi Bag to honour the language martyrs. The adjoining Park Road was decorated with traditional alpana designs, while cultural programmes, seminars and remembrance events were held throughout the day in different parts of Silchar.Several organisations renewed their demands for renaming Silchar station as “Bhasha Shahid Station, Silchar” and granting May 19 official and international recognition on the lines of “Amar Ekushey”, observed in memory of Bengali language movement martyrs of Feb 21, 1952 in present-day Bangladesh.