While our subcontinent was partitioned in 1947 a referendum was held in the Surma/Barak valley region. Yields of that referendum brought Surma valley(greater Sylhet area) to Bangladesh(the then East Pakistan) and Barak valley(Cachar,Karimgonj,Shilchar,Hailakandi) went to Assam. Mother tongue of all these people is Bangla(of course local dialects prevail). People of both these vallies had a common and glorious history of fighting and laying their lives for own mother language. People of Surma valley fought with all other compatriots to establish Bangla as one of the State languages in the then Pakistan. Martyrs of 21st February and the consequent People’s movement compelled tyrant Pakistanis to accept the just demands of Bangalees of East Pakistan. Amar Ekushey has become a pride for all Bengali people irrespective of citizenship. It is now being acclaimed by the whole world after it’s recognition as International Mother Language Day.
Now let me put some light on similar struggle on the other part across the border. Barak valley became part of Assam and Assamese(Ahomia) language was declared as the only state language there after independence from British colonial rule. Barak vally constitutes a large part of Assam and its population is also a considerable part of Assam’s numbers. Their mother tongue is Bangla. People in the valley raised their voice for recognition of their mother tongue.East Pakistani Bengali people’s success in 1952 must have inspired them too. Their movement continued and rose to a climax on 19 May1961 when striking students and youth were confronted by a contingent of Assam Rifles in the premises of Shilchar Rail station. 11 youth including 17year old Kamala Bhattacharjee laid down their lives in police firing.Repurcussions were widespread. Barak vally was on fire. The Assam state finally recognised Bangla as the second state language promptly after the bloodshed and second time in history Bangalees laid their lives for recognition of their language. Kamala was the first lady Martyr ever for Mother language. Our tributes and Salute to Kamala,her 10 other cofighter Shaheeds,to our Rafiq,Jabbar,Salam,Barkat,Shafiur and also to Shaheed Sudeshna Singha,a Manipuri youth who sacrificed her life for the recognition of Bishnupriya language. She died as a result of police firing in a railway station in Karimgonj while she was on a strike there.
Amtala gate of Dhaka University(now a part of Dhaka Medical College Hospital) went into the annals of Bangladesh history since 21February1952.Students came out of the campus defying section 144 to press for their just demand of recognition of their language. Unfortunately they did not receive proper support and backing from political parties.Nevertheless some political leaders including Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Dhirendra Nath Dutta,Tamijuddin Khan,Shamsul Haque and a few others came to their support. Since section 144 was defied,Chief Minister Nurul Amin’s government ordered police firing. For the first time in the history of mankind lives were laid for recognition of mother tongue. Bangalees proved their braveness and might. Rest is history. Bangla had to be recognised as one of the state languages of Pakistan.
The fate of Barak valley youth fighting for similar cause was no different. They did not get much of political support either. Still they carried on. They at least had an example of successful struggle for the same reason which was crowned with success. What finally happened has been narrated earlier. Another feather in the victorious crown of our mother language Bangla.It will be worthwhile to mention here that families of 10 of the Shaheed Shilchar youth went to settle in Kachhar during the partition of Indo Pak subcontinent. So,we can safely call them to be our children.All of them were under the age of 21.
Here,we may mention about another rugged struggle for the recognition of Bangla. During partition of India,Manbhum district fell into the boundaries of erstwhile Bihar province. Needless to say,the state language Hidi was automatically chosen. Majority of Manbhum population was Bengali speaking. So they felt endangered. They were about to lose their mother tongue and with it culture would also perish. A struggle to establish their mother tongue ensued. It continued for a long time and finally Bengali speaking Purulia was curved out as a new district and it went into the map of West Bengal.
Towards the end of my write up I intend to draw the attention of the readers to a very interesting fact to which I have close access fortunately. Most of us do not know much about how 21February became the International Mother Language Day. Well nothing happens just like that. Here comes into picture mainly two Bangladeshis of my age and belonging to my friend circle living in Vancouver,BC,Canada.It was Rafiq first who being a freedom fighter from Cumilla who wrote a letter to the then Secretary General of UN Mr Kofi Annan requesting for declaration of a special day for all mother languages of the world,because many were going extinct for various reasons. Rafiq proposed in1998 to declare our 21February as that special day taking que from various such days of the year being observed as International Women’s Day,International Labours Day,and so on. He recieved a prompt reply that an individual can not handle such issue and also it has to be addressed to UNESCO.
Immediately in Vancouver an organisation was formed with like minded people to carry on with the fight. It had members from different Nationalities,and was led by Rafiq and Salam(from Chattogram). Hafizur Jahangir,my friend for last50 years and other friends from different countries became their associates.It was named as MLLW(Mother Language Lovers of the World).A well drafted letter by Salam signed by 10 enlightened persons belonging to 8 nationalities were sent to UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.To emphasize on mother language the letter was signed in as many as eight different languages.
They recieved a prompt reply. Being a UN organisation UNESCO could deal with only Governments and no private organisation.
So,the committee led by Rafiq and Salam took it up with Bangladesh Government and not surprisingly our the then Education Minister Mr Sadeque and our glorious Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took extraordinary initiative to raise the issue in the 1999 plenary session of UNESCO and got it approved. So, since 21February 2000 the world is observing International Mother Language Day. Motto is all languages are to be respected and valued. No language should henceforth be allowed to disappear due to lack of patronage. Beauty is in diversity.
Our Rafiqul Islam was honoured with Swadhinata Padak,the highest honorific medal and MLLW got an Ekushey padak,the second most important state honour of Bangladesh.
We once again pay our deep respect to all Bhasha Shaheeds of Dhaka,Shilchar and elsewhere.
