New Delhi: The Barak Democratic Front (BDF) on Tuesday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for the creation of a new State of “Purbachal” by separating Barak Valley from Assam.
“We, from Purbachal Joint Action Committee as well as Barak Democratic Front, do hereby request you on behalf of the people of Barak Valley to consider bringing a constitutional amendment bill in order to divide the State of Assam and create a new state of "PURBACHAL" incorporating all three districts of Karimganj, Hailakandi and Cachar in Barak Valley* in South Assam, on the ground of long deprivation of the people of Barak Valley under an ultra-chauvinist rule of the Assamese leadership from Brahmaputra Valley,” BDF chief convener Pradip Dutta Roy told ETV Bharat.
He said that the people of Barak Valley raised their voices for the creation of a separate state, soon after the passing of the Assam Official Language Bill 1960 on 24 October 1960.
“We, request you on behalf of the people of Barak Valley to consider bringing a constitutional amendment bill in order to divide the State of Assam and create a new state of 'PURBACHAL' incorporating all three districts of Karimganj, Hailakandi and Cachar in Barak Valley in South Assam, on the ground of long deprivation of the people of Barak Valley under an ultra-chauvinist rule of the Assamese leadership from Brahmaputra Valley that continued unabatedly all along irrespective of the fact that the governments in the state were run by different parties,” he said.
Roy said that Barak Valley was never a part and parcel of Assam so far the history is concerned. “While the Karimganj district of this valley was a Sub Division under Sylhet district, the remaining districts of Hailakandi and Cachar were just a single district and all these three administrative units were an integral part of the erstwhile Bengal Presidency.
Roy said, "In 1874, the districts of Sylhet (Surma Valley) and Cachar (Barak Valley) were detached from Bengal Presidency under an order of British Crown and amalgamated with Assam, the territory of which was restricted within Brahmaputra Valley only, in order to form a new tea producing province under a British Chief Commissioner. Thenceforth only, the Bengali-dominated Barak Valley was brought under the administrative control and political domain of Assam."
"However, the people of Barak Valley resented the forceful amalgamation that was brought into effect under the initiative of an alien rule. Babu Kamini Kumar Chanda, a popular leader of the valley during the early 20th Century, had submitted a petition to the British Governor General in India on 31 March 1904 with a request for reunion of Sylhet and Cachar with the Bengal Presidency,” he added.
He said that the Bengalis living in Barak Valley in particular and all over Assam in general are not appropriately provided with jobs under the State Government in Assam.
Roy said, “It is evident from the recruitment process of the past few decades that most of the appointments were made from the Assamese candidates from Brahmaputra Valley only. Apart from almost cent per cent appointments of Assamese candidates for the jobs under the State Public Service Commission, the posts of Grade C and D lying vacant in Barak Valley are being filled in with Assamese candidates from Brahmaputra Valley."
On the face of dissension from Barak Valley on such poor recruitment, the Chief Minister of Assam said that all appointments have been made on the basis of efficiency tests only and it is not any fault on the part of the Government if candidates from Barak Valley perform poorly,” Roy added.
As per government data, the Bengalis constitute almost one-third of Assam’s total population out of which almost 42 lakhs reside in Barak Valley. The Barak valley consists of three districts of Assam namely Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi situated at the bank of river Barak.
