Assam: Controversy over Gamosa at Bangla Sahitya Sabha state conference in Guwahati

The use of Assamese-Bangla gamosa pairs at the state representative conference of the Bangla Sahitya Sabha has caused controversy. The first state-level conference of the newly formed literary organisation was held on March 25 in Guwahati, and different people have expressed their reactions.

The two-day event was organised at The Hiteshwar Saikia Auditorium in Maligaon Pandavnagar, and was inaugurated by Dr Ranoj Pegu, Education Minister, Assam. Special guests, including State Education Adviser Dr. Nanigopal Mahanta, renowned Rabindra specialist Dr. Usharanjan Bhattacharya, Vice-Chancellor of RabindraNath University Dr. Amalendu Chakraborty, Rajya Sabha MP Pabitra Margherita, President of Linguistic Minorities Development Council Shiladitya Deb, and President of Assam Sahitya Sabha Suryakanta Hazarika Pramukh, were also present.

The Bangla Sahitya Sabha, Assam has been formed as a platform for the Bengali-Speaking Assamese of the Barak-Brahmaputra. The aim of the first State Representatives Conference was to promote greater exchange of ideas and closer proximity between mother tongue Bangla and dhatri language Assamese.

However, controversy arose over the use of Assamese and Bengali gamosas paired together. Some people have expressed their objection to this, saying that the Assamese gamosa should be used on its own, and that the pairing of the two gamosas is disrespectful to Assamese culture.

It's worth noting that power loom gamosas have been banned in Assam. 
The Bangla Sahitya Sabha state conference will continue on March 26, with a cultural procession planned for the day. Despite the controversy, the conference aims to promote literary and cultural exchange between Bengali-speaking Assamese and Assamese-speaking people, and to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the region.