Charter of Demand for the Creation of the New State of “Purbachal” from Barak Valley in Assam

Edited by Agnibeena Ghosh

The Purbachal Joint Action Committee and the Barak Democratic Front, representing the residents of Barak Valley, have united in a plea to the Prime Minister of India, advocating for the division of the State of Assam to form a new state called “PURBACHAL.” This demand stems from prolonged neglect and deprivation suffered by the Barak Valley inhabitants under the dominant Assamese leadership. This struggle has persisted despite changes in political parties governing the state.

The genesis of this appeal dates back to post-independence India when Gopinath Bordoloi, the Chief Minister of Assam, controversially declared that “Assam is undoubtedly for Assamese,” despite the linguistic diversity within the state. Subsequently, the imposition of the Assam Official Language Bill in 1960, designating Assamese as the sole official language, sparked dissent among non-Assamese populations, particularly in Barak Valley.

This discontent led to various movements advocating for a separate state for Barak Valley. Organizations like the CacharJanamangalParishad and Cachar Jana Sammelan, along with political figures such as Dwarikanath Tiwary and Mahitosh Purakayastha, actively lobbied for the segregation of Barak Valley from Assam, underscoring the denial of constitutional rights to its Bengali residents.

Despite multiple efforts, including representations to the Government of India, the demands for a separate state were repeatedly stifled by entrenched Assamese political interests. The plight of Barak Valley extended beyond linguistic issues, encompassing economic disparities, academic neglect, and developmental discrepancies compared to the Brahmaputra Valley.

Barak Valley, with a predominantly Bengali population for centuries, faced systematic marginalization through the imposition of Assamese language, neglect in education, and uneven infrastructural development. The grievances encapsulated issues ranging from the education sector’s discriminatory practices, inadequate medical facilities, to the lack of essential infrastructure like flyovers, railway connectivity, and promised cultural institutions.

The historical roots of Bengali cultural influence in Lower Assam were dismissed, hindering the community from exercising its linguistic and cultural rights. The promised reforms and developmental projects by the Assam government for Barak Valley remained largely unfulfilled, perpetuating economic backwardness and infrastructural insufficiency.

Moreover, the Assam government’s indifference to Barak Valley’s demands for a separate High Court bench, an alternative railway link, and various developmental projects accentuated the region’s isolation and hindered its growth prospects.

Despite Barak Valley’s strategic geographical location and abundance of resources, its potential for economic development remained untapped, adding to the plea for a separate statehood.

The appeal draws attention to the vast resources and strategic significance of the proposed Purbachal state, highlighting the region’s capacity for self-sustainability and potential as a significant contributor to Northeast India’s economic growth.

In conclusion, the Charter of Demand appeals to the Union of India to grant Barak Valley the right to determine its destiny by forming a full-fledged state under the Indian Constitution. It underlines the historical, cultural, economic, and geographical reasons supporting the legitimate demand for the creation of the new state of “Purbachal” from Barak Valley in Assam.

This Charter was signed by the following members of the Barak Democratic Front-

Pradip Dutta Roy – Chief Convener 

Joydeep Bhattacharjee – Convener, Media Cell 

Hrishikesh Dey – Convener 

Khaidem Kanta Singh – Convener 

Kalparnab Gupta – Chief Convener, Youth Front 

Adv. Akmal Hussain Barbhuiya – Convener 

Promode Srivastava – Convener 

Nirmal Burman – Convener 

Debayan Deb – Convener, Youth Front 

Haradhan Dutta – Convener, Youth Front 

News Mania Desk/ Agnibeena Ghosh / 28th November 2023