A former Congress MP has sought action against the chairman of Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) for allegedly asking people of Bengali-dominated Barak Valley to secede if they are unwilling to learn the Assamese language.
In a letter to Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday, All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev said AHSEC chairman Dayananda Borgohain’s remark was unacceptable and discriminatory. She also forwarded a video of his “controversial” statement in a tweet tagging the Chief Minister.
Referring to a notification of the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA), on students opting for the Assamese language as the seventh subject, Mr. Borgohain allegedly said people in Barak Valley must live in a separate State if they do not want to learn Assamese.
“It is shocking that an officer issues a threat to the people of Barak Valley to learn the Assamese language or get separated from Assam. It reeks of chauvinism,” Ms. Dev said.
“This comment is in complete ignorance of our history and comes as an insult to the people of Barak Valley. To say the least, it alienates us and is discriminatory. Mutual respect for each other’s language and culture is the idea of India. People speak different languages in Assam and have peacefully coexisted and comments like these are against the interest of Assam. The government must take action immediately, failing which it will only prove to me that it condones the comment and shares the same views,” the letter said.
