PCP will not observe 21 February this year

chtnews.com
News No. 33/2010, February 20, 2010

The Hill Students Council (PCP), a front organisation of the United Peoples’ Democratic Front, have decided to stay off the Shahid Minar this year, protesting government’s denial of the right of mother tongue to the national minorities in the country.

The PCP in a statement issued to the press on 18 February said “It is as much a shame as a disgrace to the language martyrs that the nation which had shed blood for the right of their mother tongue should refuse to give the same right to the national minorities.”

“We will refrain from visiting Shahid Minar ((mausoleum built in honour of those killed during the language movement in Bangladesh in 1952) and offering floral wreaths at it’s alter, because we think we should protest the government policy to destroy our own mother tongues.” Sumen Chakma, General Secretary of the PCP told chtnews.com.

“However, this does not in anyway mean that we are showing disrespect to the martyrs.” he added. “We have visited Shahid Minars year after year in the hope that some day good sense of the government would prevail.”

The PCP demanded that the government takes immediate steps to provide recognition to the languages of the national minorities and to launch primary education programme in these languages in CHT.