While the rift between the people of Assamese-majority Brahmaputra Valley and Bengali-dominated Barak Valley over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill has become apparent, the Asom Sahitya Sabha president Paramananda Rajbongshi chose to visit Barak Valley on Shilpi Divas on Thursday to spread the message of unity.
Remembering Assam’s cultural icon Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, on his death anniversary, the state’s apex literary body paid rich tributes to him in Silchar.
Rajbongshi said, “We cannot forget the way Jyoti Prasad Agarwala has taken forward our cultural ethos and identity.”
“As the state is reeling in establishing its cultural identity as well as its language, we have to make one move forward in building bridges between Barak and Brahmaputra. If we are to carry forward the ideals of Jyoti Prasad, who through his various cultural and art forms gave our state an identity, people from all sections of society too should follow his path. We should respect the language of all communities living in Assam,” said the Sabha president.
He further said that Assam Sahitya Sabha has started a campaign to unify all communities living in Assam irrespective of their languages.
“Not only that, for the past seven years we have been travelling to different parts of Northeast as well, for our soul objective is to keep alive the languages, like, Bengali, Assamese or even that of Bishnupriya Manipuris, which are in practice since ages,” he added.
Earlier, hoisting Assam Sahitya Sabha’s flag, Rajbongshi and various other dignitaries led by noted personalities of both Bengali and Assamese communities, paid floral tributes to Jyoti Prasad.