All roads led to the two-day long central celebration of Bah-Gosai Utsav of the Sarania Kacharis and the 16th biennial conference of All Assam Sarania Kachari Students’ Union (AASKSU) at Tangla in Udalguri district which concluded on Saturday.
The event, organized at Budhiram Das Sarania Samanay Setra near Tangla College, was attended by thousands of Sarania-Kacharis from Baksa, Udalguri and Kamrup.
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Also read: Assam: ST certificate to Sarania Kachari illegal, alleges BJSM
Speaking on the open session, chairman of the Sarania Kachari Development Council, Deepak Deka said, “Sarania Kachari community has grown up along with their own culture, customs, traditions, thoughts, rituals and rites. Sarania Kacharis have been democratically fighting for their development as the Saranias are lagging behind in every respect.”
In the course of his deliberation, he highlighted the significance of Bah Gosai Utsav saying that it is celebrated every year on the 6th of Bohag by the Saranias with their own customs to mark the occasion of Basanta Utsav like other tribal communities.
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“Bamboo is worshipped as sacred and it is believed that it heals mankind from illness and protects from all the misfortunes and unite mankind,” added Deka.
He appealed to the Sarania Kachari people to carry forward the rich cultural heritage of the community, establish a unique identity in the global platform and fight for their existence and development challenging deprivation and suppression.
Deka lambasted the president of the Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Mancha (BJSM), Janaklal Basumatary, for creating disharmony for vested interests and exhorted the government to resume issuance of ST certificates to the community at the earliest for the greater interest of the students of the community who will seek admissions in various institutes for higher education.
Speaking on the occasion, president of the Asom Sahitya Sabha (ASS), Paramananda Rajbongshi said, “Every ethnic community of the state is politically conscious. It is a good sign for a healthy democracy and every community must have their political and cultural rights to make the nation federal in true sense.”
He further stated that folk culture proves the identity of any ethnic group of the state.
Rajbongshi said Asom Sahitya Sabha would soon take initiative to publish the history and folk culture of every ethnic group in English and Hindi besides Assamese which would bear testimony to the rich cultural legacy of the community.
Distinguished litterateur Ismail Hussain also spoke on the occasion as an appointed speaker.
He said the ethnic groups of people may have their different dresses and food culture, but they must be identified as ethnic tribal people of the state.
The event was presided over by president of AASKSU, Prabin Deka Sarania where Udalguri Boro Sahitya
Sabha president Kameswar Boro released the souvenir ‘Bah-Gosai’.
The event, attended by nearly ten thousand people, was also graced by Kalaigaon MLA Maheswar Boro; BTC Executive Member Lwmshrao Daimari; assistant general secretary of All Assam Students’ Union Jayanta Kumar Bhattacharya among others.