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Assam's Bengali region demands economic autonomy -
bdnews24.com
Groups representing public aspirations of Assam's Bengali dominated Barak valley have asked the Modi government in Delhi to create an Economic Development Council (EDC) for the neglected region.
The Barak Upatakya Bahubhasik Samamnoy Samity(BUBSS) and the Barak Upatakya Bangiya Sahitya-Sanskriti Sammelan (BUBSSS) have said in a memorandum that the demand, first raised in 2005, must be sympathetically considered by the Modi government.
The EDC will comprise of elected MPs, MLAs, Zilla Parishad and Municipal Committee members from the three districts of Barak valley -- Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi.
"We need direct Central funding of our development projects because our economy and infrastructure is in bad shape due to continuous neglect by successive Assam government," said BUBSSS general secretary Gautam Prasad Dutta.
"The EDC will receive its budgets directly from the Centre. We don’t seek to break away from Assam as some in our region wants, but we want direct Central assistance to speed up our development," Dutta told bdnews24.com in Silchar on the sidelines of an Annual Book Fair in the city.
He said the EDC will also consist of experts from the region who can advise on future development.
BUBSSS spokesperson and local editor Taimur Raja Chowdhury said Indian government should also expedite the BCIM economic corridor project because that passes through Silchar and would help connect Barak valley to neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar and China.
"If we have economic autonomy through the EDC and we have the BCIM corridor connecting us to our neighborhood, the Barak valley will achieve speedy growth and development. It can also become the trading hub of India's Northeast because of its central location in the region," Chowdhury said.
The BUBSSS is the prime body for protection of linguistic rights and cultural development and organises an annual book fair. The Kolkata International Book Fair has allotted a free space for BUBSSS in the city's Milan Mela Centre this year, said Tridib Chattopadhyay of the Kolkata Publishers and Booksellers Guild.
Bengalis in Barak valley fought for their right of education in Bengali language when the Assam government tried imposing Assamese on them in 1960.
On May 19, 11 young men and women were killed in Assam police firing.
The day is celebrated as Language Martyrs Day in Barak valley like Feb 21 is in Bangladesh.
Later, the Barak dwellers had to fight to get a Central university in the region. Now sustained agitation has forced Delhi to convert the rail network in the region to broad gauge.
Groups in Barak valley are now demanding the Silchar railway station to be renamed Bhasha Shahid Station.
bdnews24.com
Groups representing public aspirations of Assam's Bengali dominated Barak valley have asked the Modi government in Delhi to create an Economic Development Council (EDC) for the neglected region.
The Barak Upatakya Bahubhasik Samamnoy Samity(BUBSS) and the Barak Upatakya Bangiya Sahitya-Sanskriti Sammelan (BUBSSS) have said in a memorandum that the demand, first raised in 2005, must be sympathetically considered by the Modi government.
The EDC will comprise of elected MPs, MLAs, Zilla Parishad and Municipal Committee members from the three districts of Barak valley -- Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi.
"We need direct Central funding of our development projects because our economy and infrastructure is in bad shape due to continuous neglect by successive Assam government," said BUBSSS general secretary Gautam Prasad Dutta.
"The EDC will receive its budgets directly from the Centre. We don’t seek to break away from Assam as some in our region wants, but we want direct Central assistance to speed up our development," Dutta told bdnews24.com in Silchar on the sidelines of an Annual Book Fair in the city.
He said the EDC will also consist of experts from the region who can advise on future development.
BUBSSS spokesperson and local editor Taimur Raja Chowdhury said Indian government should also expedite the BCIM economic corridor project because that passes through Silchar and would help connect Barak valley to neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar and China.
"If we have economic autonomy through the EDC and we have the BCIM corridor connecting us to our neighborhood, the Barak valley will achieve speedy growth and development. It can also become the trading hub of India's Northeast because of its central location in the region," Chowdhury said.
The BUBSSS is the prime body for protection of linguistic rights and cultural development and organises an annual book fair. The Kolkata International Book Fair has allotted a free space for BUBSSS in the city's Milan Mela Centre this year, said Tridib Chattopadhyay of the Kolkata Publishers and Booksellers Guild.
Bengalis in Barak valley fought for their right of education in Bengali language when the Assam government tried imposing Assamese on them in 1960.
On May 19, 11 young men and women were killed in Assam police firing.
The day is celebrated as Language Martyrs Day in Barak valley like Feb 21 is in Bangladesh.
Later, the Barak dwellers had to fight to get a Central university in the region. Now sustained agitation has forced Delhi to convert the rail network in the region to broad gauge.
Groups in Barak valley are now demanding the Silchar railway station to be renamed Bhasha Shahid Station.
