STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Bishnupriya Manipuri Territorial Council Demand Committee (BMTCDC) Chief Executive Member and writer Bidhan Sinha has taken a pious course of agitation – reading and annotating of the Gita and the Naamgoxa – when the Assam Legislative Assembly will be in its winter session. The agitation is aimed at pushing the demand for the creation of a Bishnupriya Manipuri Autonomous Council (BMAC) in the State.
Addressing the media at Dispur Press Club here on Sunday, writer Sinha said, "An autonomous council each in the satellite system is a must for the BishnupriyaManipuris of Assam, Manipur and Tripura in Bishnupriya Manipuri-dominated localities."
The writer also urged the government to grant ST (Schedule Tribe)-Plain status to the BishnupriyaManipuris, besides including their language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India.
Writer Sinha said that despite having a rich cultural heritage, the ethnic identity of the BishnupriyaManipuris is in danger. "The endangered ethnic minority people - Bishnupriya Manipuris – are sparsely scattered in the Northeastern States with small pockets in other metros like Kolkata, Mumbai, Bengaluru and other places of the country," Sinha underlined.
He said in the 1940s, the British government in the Assam Franchise Committee proposed to categorize the community under ST category. After independence, the Government of India recognized the Bishnupriya Manipuri as a separate mother tongue in its various reports, mostly the Linguistic Minority Commission under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, he pointed out.
"Both in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha under Article 80 of the Constitution, at least one member can be nominated by the President to the Upper House amongst the Bishnupriya Manipuris," stressed Sinha.
The writer further said that they would start a signature campaign in favour of the BMAC from the International Human Rights Day which the BMTCDC is going to observe.