A speech by Nisith Pramanik, Union Minister of State for Home, on Thursday in Cooch Behar to celebrate the birth anniversary of royal family member and Rajbangshi leader Chila Roy has stirred up a row.
Pramanik was quoted by newspapers as saying that he would like a separate state for Cooch Behar.
When THE WEEK spoke to Amit Shah's deputy, he was guarded in his response.
"I have said nothing about statehood demand. Let me arrange the video for you. You hear and write," Pramanik told THE WEEK.
In the video, Pramanik spoke in Rajbangshi language, and talked about freedom for people of Cooch Behar.
"I look for the days when my land would get its due freedom. A freedom where we would heave a sigh of relief," Pramanik said.
He said the demographic situation of Goalpara and some other parts of Assam and North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda of West Bengal has changed.
"These places were full of Rajbangshis several decades back. But today, Rajbangshi people (majority in Cooch Behar) are hardly found. We need to find our own path," Pramanik said in the video.
He said the work towards that path has started and some roads have been crossed. "But some work is yet to be done. We need to wait," said Pramanik, the youngest minister in the Narendra Modi 2.0 government.
The minister said he was ready to take up "sword for the cause". "Don't think that I forgot the cause. I am ready to take up arms for you people. But you must wake up now," he said.
Political observers said Pramanik gave a clear indication of what he expected from the Union government. Before him, two others BJP MPs and several MLAs have raised the demand. A separatist Rajbangshi leader, Ananta Maharaj, also accompanied Pramanik along with several MLAs of north Bengal.
After a lull of two months, the demand for North Bengal has gained momentum at a time when UP and other states are going to polls.
Pramanik refused to say what he meant by freedom for people of Cooch Behar. The programme was organised by the BJP at the same venue where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had attended a meeting earlier on the same day and announced a slew of measures for people of Cooch Behar.
The greater Cooch Behar movement was a bloody one in early 2000s, when many died in violent protests. Many are facing cases of sedition, along with murder charges. An IPS officer was lynched during the movement in 2005.Â
