AGARTALA, May 19 (TIWN): The Language Martyrs’ Day was observed across the state throughout various programmes, today. As a part, Bhasha Shaheed Divas was observed at Rabindra Bhawan while Niharika cultural foundation paid tribute to the 11 Martyrs throughout several cultural functions.

With the initiative of Amara Bangali, the Language Martyrs’ Day was also observed at the Orient Chowmohani and tribute is being paid to the Martyrs. The main function was observed in the Araliya School ground of Dharmanagar.

Notably, in the way back May 19, 1961 a total of 11 persons had became martyrs in Tarapur railway station of Cachar district of Silchar while they were protesting for their Bengali mother tongue. The eleven Martyrs are- Kanailal Niyogi, Chandicharan Sutradhar, Hitesh Biswas, Satyendra Deb, Kumud Das, Sunil Dey Sarkar, Tarani Deb Nath, Sachindra Paul, Birendra Sutradhar, Sukomal Purakayastha and Kamala Bhattacharjee.

Suddenly, without any prior warning, the armed forces opened fire on the unsuspecting and terrified Satyagrahis at Tarapur railway station. It was exactly 2:35 pm then. One after another, eleven people succumbed to their bullet injuries and became martyrs for the cause of their mother tongue. In the meanwhile, the police and other forces also assaulted the Satyagrahis who had assembled on the railway tracks. Since then, the day is known as Language Martyrs’ Day.