Ousted BJP member and Founder ACKHSA President addressing the press at his residence on Sunday
Ousted BJP member and Founder ACKHSA president Pradip Dutta Roy addressing the press at his residence in Silchar on January 20, 2019. Photo: Northeast Now

Ousted BJP worker and founder president of All Cachar Karimganj Hailakandi Students Association (ACKHSA) on Sunday came down heavily on Asom Sahitya Sabha’s president, Dr Paramananda Rajbongshi, who on his last visit to Silchar on Shilpi Diwas commented of playing a pivotal role in setting up of Assam University.

Addressing the media at his residence on Sunday, Pradip Dutta Roy, who has been expelled from BJP for his outlandish comments recently related to the citizenship bill, said, “Such statement of Dr Rajbongshi is baseless as Asom Sahitya Sabha has not done anything for the setting up of this university, rather, opposed it vehemently. Only after Tezpur University was set up that permission for the setting up of Assam University, out here in Silchar, was agreed upon by the Centre.”

He added, addressing a symposium in Assam University on that day, “Dr Rajbongshi said that the indigenous people of Barak valley are the Manipuris, Rajbongshis, Khasis and Dimasas, without making any reference to Bengali Hindus or Muslims, even after this part of land being under Sylhet in the past. He has made a grave mistake by not referring to these communities. Even being the president of Asom Sahitya Sabha he lacks knowledge of this region and likewise we are the indigenous people of this land.”

Talking to Northeast Now on this issue, Pradip Dutta Roy, informed, “I have studied in Guwahati and have seen atrocities in educational institutions against Bengalis during the agitations by AASU and Gana Sangram Parishad. We are very sentimental about our university for we have fought from 1983 till 1993 for the setting up of it in Silchar. We have welcomed students coming from Brahmaputra valley. Today there are more than 300 students from the Assamese community and even the president of AUSU, Abhinandan Mahanta, is an Assamese. We have never opposed any of them coming out here and studying. Our opposition was only for students sitting in protest for Citizens Amendment Bill (CAB).”

“I would have supported these students had they asked for the opening up of an Assamese Department in Assam University. If Gauhati University and in Dibrugarh University, have Bengali departments, and likewise, Calcutta University, have an Assamese Department, why can’t there be any such department in Assam University. Assam University has completed 25 years and we still don’t have an Assamese Department. No one is demanding for that. No organization or any individual from Brahmaputra valley or even Barak valley is speaking on this issue. The name of this university starts with Assam and we do not have an Assamese Department,” said, Dutta Roy.

Pradip Dutta Roy also challenged Akhil Gogoi of KMSS and Dr Hiren Gohain of coming to Barak valley and talk to the people. “They all are giving wrong information and falsely propagating that one crore and twenty five lakhs of Hindus would be coming to Assam from Bangladesh, if the CAB gets passed. Hindus living in Bangladesh are very happy and living without fear. This time 18 people from the Hindu community have won parliamentary elections and two have gone on to become Cabinet ministers. They are very happy and no one would come to die in Assam,” said, Roy.