Bengali Language Movement (Barak Valley)
| Barak Valley Language Movement | |
|---|---|
| Part of Bengali language movements in India | |
The condolence procession in Silchar on 20 May 1961 in memory of the deceased language martyrs in results of
lathicharge on 19 May 1961 | |
| Date | 1960 – 1961 |
| Location | 24°49′N 92°49′E / 24.82°N 92.81°E |
| Caused by | Assamese imposition |
| Goals | Bengali nationalism |
| Methods | Protests, sit-ins, demonstrations |
| Resulted in | Bengali become the regional official language |
Barak Valley Location of the movement | |
The Bengali Language Movement of Barak Valley was a period of protests that began in 1960 against the decision of the Government of Assam to make Assamese the state's sole official language, even though most Barak Valley residents spoke Bengali. About 80% of the valley's residents are ethnic Bengalis, and the Bengali population in the Barak Valley region consists of both Hindus and Muslims in about equal number, constituting the overwhelming majority of the population. There is also a substantial minority of native tribes and immigrants from other parts of India.
The main incident took place on 19 May 1961 at Silchar railway station in which the Assam police killed 11 ethnic Bengalis.