Kaibarta community demands 3 seats in Barak Valley

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR: Election time is best for demands by aspiring candidates of fringe communities for reservation of seats to contest in polls, parliamentary and assembly. Manipuri and Bishnupriya Manipuri communities have often raised such demand from time to time, but ignored by the political parties of consequence. But, their candidates did contest in assembly elections from Manipuri and Bishnupriya communities, particularly from the constituencies with their sizeable presence. Three such constituencies in the valley are Lakhipur in Cachar, Ratabari and Patharkandi in Karimganj. They have also the story of victory and defeat.

A redeemable feature of Barak politics is that it is free from caste and communal overtones. Now for the first time economically backward and scheduled caste Kaibarta community has staked its claim for the reservation of three seats of Katigorah in Cachar, Ratabari and Karimganj (North). The leaders claim their strong presence in these assembly constituencies to tilt the balance in favour of BJP, their preferred party. Sujit Das Choudhury, general secretary of Kaibarta Samaj Unnyan Parishad said, "Since the inception of the saffron party, we have been supporting it en block."

Presently, except Karimganj (North), BJP has won the Katigorah and Ratabari seats in 2016 and will win in 2021 also, Sujit Das Choudhury asserted. Behind the victory of BJP in both the Parliamentary constituencies of Silchar and Karinganj, "Our support has smoothened the success," he pointed out. He regrets despite their pivotal role in elections, they have not been given any reservation. Another most admired person of the community, Subodh Das, reminds they constitute nearly 7% of the total population of the valley and their claim for reservation of seats is quite justified.

Subodh Das justifying the demand said the total voters of their community stand at 4 lakh, according to the updated electoral rolls. Why is BJP their preferred choice in elections? He said, "We are the victims of partition and worst sufferers in East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, and forced to migrate to India. BJP has stood by us in our hours of crisis and helped us in all possible ways." They are now planning to have a multi complex building at Silchar to house the office of Kaibarta Samaj Unnyan Parishad, a hostel and a library on a plot of land donated by Sujit Das Choudhury in memory of his father Jatindra Das Choudhury.

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