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Amra Bangali Rally at Siliguri Invokes Tremendous Public Support
Photos by P.N.A (Kolkata): Massive Rally of Amra Bangali in Siliguri protesting against Subhas Ghising's demand of Gorkhaland (Please click on images to enlarge)
The North Bengal is burning. The Gorkha Land leader Subhas Ghising is now demanding separate state of Gorkha Land. He is not satisfied by the autonomous status for Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) which he secured when the compromising attitude of the then Chief Minister Jyoti Basu (West Bengal) and Buta Singh the then Home Minister of India succumbed to his violent methods. It was in 1988 that this tripartite agreement created DGHC (included 3 hilly subdivisions - Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kharson) Amra Bangali decried this agreement then and there and called Jyoti Basu a traitor, initiating another division of Bengal.
The Gorkhas came from Nepal to this part of Bengal during British period, in search of livelihood. Now after all these years that Bengal provided them a good living, they want Gorkha land. Their demand is increasing every day and now they want the entire Siliguri subdivision and also Duars areas of Jalpiguri. This is not at all tolerable for Bengali psyche.
The demands of Subhash Ghising were increasing every day. He started demanding recognition of DGHC under 6th schedule of constitution of India, scheduled tribe status for Gorkhas, an independent Gateway from Darjeeling to Bangladesh and separate currency for the hills. This fresh thrust by Subhash Ghising brought Amra Bangali into action. Amra Bangali could read the pulse of the people and they organized a forceful rally against Gorkha land agitation of Subhash Ghising. The rally was held at Siliguri on 22nd of August and invoked tremendous response from public and Press alike. The sentiment of Bengalees was already aroused and Amra Bangali rally gave vent to it.
Since that day Amra Bangali has become talk of the entire north Bengal – the opponents – like Gorkha land leaders as well as CPM, started vomiting poison against Amra Bangali. All the newspapers are carrying AB news on front page for last one month – both for and against. The most prominent and popular Bengali newspaper “Ananda Bazar Patrika” carried editorial comments on Amra Bengali and teased Subhash Ghising that he seems to be afraid of Amra Bengali’s strong organizing against his demand for more and more parts of Bengal and so he has seen reason and backtracked from his exaggerated demands.
Hundreds of youth of north Bengal has joined Amra Bangali party since then. Amra Bangali office in Siliguri is humming with dynamism. Attached here are a few newspaper cuttings – (we could not include all as the page would become too heavy). Photographs of rally are also attached.
Amra Bangali Rally in Tatanagar
Photos by P.N.A (Kolkata): Massive Rally of Amra Bangali in Tatanagar (Jamshedpur) Deamanding Bengali Language to be the State Language of Jahrakhand (Please click on images to enlarge)
Tatanagar in the state of Jharkhand is at the heart of Bengali speaking areas. Founder of Prout Shrii P. R. Sarkar has included these areas in his planning of Bangalistan.
The language policy in the state of Jharkhand was and is very defective. They have recognized Hindi as the First State Language. Amra Bangali was demanding this status for Bengali as majority of people of Jharkhand speak Bengali. On the other hand Hindi is not the language of any body there. The people who settled in these areas of Jharkhand are mostly from different Samajas like Maethili Samaj, Magahi Samaj, Nagpuri Samaj, Bhojpuri Samaj etc. Hindi is not their language. So Amra Bangali was against Hindi as it is only a courier of pseudo-culture and capitalistic interests, and has not been accepted by Samaj system of Prout.
The local populace of Singhbum district and adjoining areas were raising their voice, but as Rarh people are generally meek and not so much demanding, they were subjected to tremendous exploitation.
Recently under pressure from Amra Bangali and Bengali speaking population of Jharkhand, the state Govt. declared Bengali as 2nd State language. It was to get votes in coming Panchayat elections. Amra Bangali organised a massive rally on 18th September 05 at Tatanagar and declared in unambiguous language that Bengali is the language of majority in Jharkhand – Hindi is not the natural tongue of any body. Even those who came from Bihar and other areas, Hindi is not their mother tongue – so there is no question of declaring Hindi as the State language. The status of first state language belongs to Bengali as more than 64% local people speak Bengali as their mother tongue.
Amra Bangali also demanded Bengali medium schools and textbooks all over the state. The leaders decried that local people of the state are being denied the right to study their mother tongue. This is psychic exploitation and cannot be tolerated.
Reported by: Subodh Ranjan Mitra, Samaj Secretary, Amra Bangali Samaj
