GUWAHATI, Nov 15 - Reacting to Asam Sahitya Sabha president Dr Dhrubajyoti Bora�s recent statement that migrants from Bangladesh who adopt the Assamese language would be considered as Assamese, public activist Prof Deven Dutta said that Dr Bora should clarify whether the statement was his personal observation or made in his capacity as the Asam Sahitya Sabha chief.
Prof Dutta said that while both the State Government and the Centre had made it clear that they both needed Bangladeshi Hindus (the Bengali-speaking community of Bangladesh) for furthering their narrow vote-bank politics, the Sabha being the apex literary body should also make clear its stand on the sensitive issue.
�Dr Bora needs to clarify whether his comments are personal or made as Sabha president. He should also state in unambiguous terms whether the people he referred to are the Bengali-speaking Hindus from Bangladesh. The Centre and the State Government are shadow fighting on it but have a common purpose � both need Bangladeshi votes,� he said.
Pointing out that the Centre�s move on Bangladeshi Hindu migrants would first accept the Bengali-speaking Hindus as refugees and later make them citizens, Prof Dutta said that the �non-Muslim populace� of Bangladesh was a fa�ade and that Assam�s interests were being jeopardized by the sinister development.
�None should ignore that Assam�s public opinion is against Bangladeshi migrants irrespective of their religious affiliation and we had a six-year movement against Bangladesh infiltration, resulting in the death of several hundred martyrs. The Assam Accord is specific on the need to detect and deport illegal migrants from Bangladesh irrespective of their religious status. Now the emerging developments will bring us back to square one,� he added.
Opposing Dr Bora�s earlier stand that people accepting Assamese as second and even third languages should be recognized as Assamese, Prof Dutta said that those speaking Assamese as second and third language rarely did that from heart but for business or permanent or self-interest only.
�Under this proposal, anyone from the world will become an Assamese easily even though he does not have any love or affection for the Assamese language. Bengalis who study in Bengali and English schools will never accept Assamese as their mother tongue. The composite Assamese culture is on the verge of extinction. With these �new� Assamese set to swarm the State, it needs to be asked where the required land will come from. Livelihood is another serious issue,� he said.
Prof Dutta said that under the circumstances, people from outside would get the lion�s share of various government schemes as beneficiaries.
