DHARMANAGAR / AGARTALA, May 19 (TIWN): ‘Bengali Language Movement’ was successfully observed on Tuesday at Dharmanagar Vivekananda Sardo sotobarshiki Bhawan. The day is observed to pay tribute to the martyrs who lost their life in giving recognition to the Bengali language.

Educationist and former principal Amarendra Sharma inaugurated the program at the Bhawan. Dharmanagar Municipal Corporation Chairperson Ratna Mahishya Das remain present as chief guest along with the other digneteries.

The movement took place on 19 May 1961 at Barak Valley Assam, and was a protest against the decision of the Government of Assam to make Assamese language the only official language of the state even though a significant proportion of the populations in the Barak Valley were Bengali speaking.

Since then the 19th of May is remembered as the Bengali Language Martyr day in Barak Valley and other parts in India.

Tensions ran high in the Brahmaputra Valley when the Assam government declared the ‘Assam’ language as the only official language in 1960. A huge crowd protested against the decision of the government. In the collision between the protesters and the police force many people lost their life in the battle.

Among them were Kanailal Niyogi, Chandicharan Sutradhar, Hitesh Biswas, Satyendra Deb, Kumud Ranjan Das, Sunil Malakar, Tarun Debnath, Sachindra Chandra Pal, Birendra Sutradhar, Sukamal Purakayastha, and Kumari Komal Bhattacharya.

However, among all the martyrs, Hitesh Biswas, Satyendra Deb, and Kumud Ranjan Das were from Tripura who fought till the last breathe of our their life to protect the language.

Along, with Dharmanagar the day was also observed at Agartala Orient Chowmuhani on Tuesday.