Silchar: The Barak Democratic Front (BDF) has urged the Assam government to issue a white paper clarifying the alleged inclusion of 19 villages from Barak Valley into Dima Hasao district and to make the Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA) peace agreement public.
In a press statement, BDF Chief Convenor Pradip Dutta Roy said the contradictory statements from political leaders have created confusion among the public.
“While the Chief Minister has assured that no Barak village will be merged with Dima Hasao without the consent of local residents, Minister Kaushik Roy has said there is no such possibility at all. On the other hand, several organisations in Dima Hasao are expressing conflicting views. This inconsistency is causing unnecessary anxiety and could sow division among communities,” Dutta Roy said.
Calling for transparency, he added that Barak Valley has long been an “island of peace” where communities such as Bengalis, Tea Tribes, and Dimasas have coexisted harmoniously for decades.
“Even during the Babri Masjid demolition, when violence broke out elsewhere, Barak remained peaceful. Yet, certain vested interests in Dispur appear to be attempting to create rifts between linguistic and ethnic groups. Such divisive conspiracies will not be tolerated by the people of Barak,” he said.
Dutta Roy also stressed that the Bodo, Dimasa, and Tripuri tribes — part of the greater Kachari community — share historical and cultural bonds with Bengalis in Barak.
He accused a “fringe Dimasa student group” of trying to undermine this harmony by demanding the renaming of “Bhasha Shahid Station” after a Dimasa king, despite government approval of the existing name.
He suggested that if a tribute to Dimasa heritage was necessary, Silchar Airport could be renamed instead, which, he said, would not face public opposition.
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He further claimed that if Barak Valley were ever to become a separate administrative entity, both Dima Hasao and Jiribam should remain part of it — an idea he said has already been discussed with relevant stakeholders.
The BDF leader appealed to the government to clarify its position immediately through a white paper and urged people to maintain peace and not fall for rumours.
BDF leaders Haradhan Dutta and Sajal Deb Roy were also present during the press briefing. The statement was issued by BDF Convenor Debayan Deb.
