COOCH BEHAR ISSUES - UNFINISHED AGENDA
COOCH BEHAR ISSUES – THE UNFINISHED AGENDA Demand for separate statehood for Greater Cooch Behar or Kamatapur for Rajbanshi speaking people is an old issue. During pre-independence days, furor was created in Bengal's literary circle when eminent Rajbanshi Kshatriya leader Thakur Panchanan Burma talked in favour of Rajbanshi or Kamtapuri language in third general meeting of 'Uttar Banga Sahitya Parishad' held at Rangpur (now Bangladesh), which was the beginning of a feeling like a nationalism for the Rajbanshis but it was not the separate statehood. However, the issue was raised during pre-independence days. During pre-independence days 'Hita Sadhini Sabha', an organisation that included local Muslim leaders also fought against separate state for the erstwhile Cooch Behar kingdom. According to Sujata D. Hazarika (‘Unrest and Displacement: Rajbanshis in North Bengal’-South Asia Forum for Human Rights) - Joge...