Silchar celebrates Martyrs’ Day in befitting manner

SILCHAR, May 19: Braving the heavy pouring, the enthusiastic people of Silchar assembled at the Railway Station in early morning to pay floral tribute to the 19 feet long statue, set up by Bhasha Swahid Station Smarak Samiti, which was inaugurated today itself. The day being the auspicious May 19, the 52nd anniversary of the martyrdom of eleven satyagrahis who sacrificed their lives on May 9, 1960 at the Silchar railway station demanding repeal of Language Act, 1960 that made Assamese a compulsory language in this Bengali dominated valley. Gaurav Gogoi, son of the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, was a pleasant surprise at the railway station programme. Gaurab before catching his morning flight, arrived at the station and paid floral tribute to the statue. The scenes then shifted to Silchar Smashan, the cremation ground where the last rites of the language martyrs were performed. The gathering, which included political bigwigs to common rickshaw pullers, daring the inclement weather, assembled at the cremation ground and paid floral tributes. Everybody was singing ‘aa mori Banglabhasha, moder gorab moder aasha’. Scene then shifted to Silchar Gandhibag at 2.30 pm and the assembly now moved there. There were song, recital, street drama. In the evening, various cultural organizations held functions, symposium, etc. Barak Valley Voluntary Blood Donors Forum arranged a blood donation camp at Devdoot Cinema Hall and Silchar railway station. Eminent minority leader Hafiz Rashid Choudhury and Silchar Bar Library president Ajay Deb Laskar participated in a discussion at the railway station in the evening. Popular singers from Calcutta Arundhati Hom Choudhury and Shibaji Chattapadhya performed at the station. Reports of celebrating language martyrs day from other parts of the valley were also pouring in.

source:http://www.sentinelassam.com/cachar/story.php?sec=2&subsec=12&id=117940&dtP=2012-05-20&ppr=1#117940