Puspita Deb Laskar: D-Voter!!!

In the Electoral roll of Barkhola, Cachar, Raja G.C.Memorial HS School, (Khanda no. 72,Room no.1, the name of Puspita Deblaskar, voter no. 900, house no. 176, (along with her sisters-in- law, Anula Deblaskar, wife of Abhijit Deblaskar, Minati deblaskar, wife of Sanjay Deblaskar,) was placed among the D-voters category. Puspita or her husband had never personally applied for inclusion of her name in the roll in the ancestral village where they do not reside for long. The inclusion of their name and subsequently placing them in D voters category is clearly a planned case to harassment. Puspita Deblaskar, is the daughter of late Binay Bhushan Choudhury of Ramkrishna Nagar, is the wife of Sanjib Deblaskar, son of late Jatindra Mohan Deb Laskar of Barkhola, Cachar. Particulars of Puspita Deb Laskar : 1. Born : 1959 2. Place of birth : Mahavir TE, Tripura 3. Passed HSLC from R.K.Nagar Girls High School, R.K.Nagar, in 1973 (the examination centre was Ramkrishna Vidyapith) under the Board of Secondary Education, Assam. Roll R.Nagar, No.490 (Certificate No.19046). 4. Her age on 01.03.1973, as per the Admit Card no. 75386, and the pass certificate was 14 years, 10 months, 2 days. 5. She was married to Sanjib Deb lascar, son of Late Jatindra Mohan Deb Laskar, Barkhola on 18.01.1990 registered by the marriage registrar, Uttam Chand Barman, Silchar, Cachar on a special commission at the bridal house in Malugram, Silchar. Particulars of Binoy Bhushan Choudhury, Father of Puspita Deb Laskar : 1. 2. 3. 4. Born in 1905 Fathers Name : Mahim Chandra Choudhury Place of Birth: Kubajpur, Sylhet, Assam First job: Kejuricherra TE, Sunamganj, Sylhet (about 1930); from that estate he moved to Sishir bari as a Tillababu. 5. Came to Mahavir TE, as the Manager in the estate owned by Brojendra Narayan Choudhury, MLC, and thereafter Member of Imperial Council of India. Subsequently had to move from Mahavir TE to Mekhlipara TE, Khoai TE, Dhajer tilla TE,Garad tilla (Kamalpur, Tripura). Binoy Bhushan Choudhury had joined the Kalinagar TE, in Cachar, Assam in the sixty and had been there as General Manager till 1965, and thence transferred to Manik Nagar TE,; from thence to Maguracherra, and then to Gambhira (Chorgola Division). 6. Had a heart attack in 1973 and had retired from job to settle at Ramkrishna Nagar; He expired on 21 December, 1982 at Ramkrishna Nagar.

For ready reference of the family of Binoy Bhushan Choudhury one may refer to the great historiography of the region, Srihatter Itibritta Vol-II, which records the genealogy of the Choudhury family of Kubajpur. The book in its Apendix, page no. 453-454 published the long list of genealogy from:

Hari Roy > Bishnu Roy> Ishwer Roy> Gangadhar> Sontosh Roy> Shyamananda Roy> Krishnanda Roy> Paramananda Roy> Durgananda Roy> Tarananda Ror> Radhananda Roy> Bhabananda Roy> Debananda Roy> Brahmmananda Roy> Keshab Roy> Norottam>Kalicharan> Shibcharan> Radhachandra> Mahimchandra Choudhury The last name Mahimchandra is the father of Binay Bhushan Choudhury. Also the details of the family records of Binay Bhushan Choudhury (family no.23) has been published in book form by Manaranjan Esh Choudhuryin the book Srihatta Jilar esh Choudhury Bansher Itibritta ebong adhulatam Parichati, in 1999, printed by M.B.Print, Shillong, published by A.Esh Choudhury, 2nd Link Road, lane 4, Silchar, P. 207 & 229 . Moreover, the family earned a mention in the autobiography, Harano Din harano Manush, part-I (page. 133-135) by the historian, Sujit Choudhury (Karimganj, 2006) where the author has referred to Bidhu Bhushan Choudhury (born 1902), the Chief Engineer of Assam, PWD, thereafter the Scretary of the department, in Assam in the pre-partition, who was a cousin of Binay Bhushan. Regarding the movement of Binoy Bhushan Coudhury from his place of birth( Janmabhumi) to his place of work (karmabhumi )we may refer to the autobiography of by Brojendra Narayan Choudhury, the celebrated jaminder-industrialist and political leader, an M.L.C in the Assam Legislative council from Sunamganj in Sylhet, Assam. In the book entitled Smruti O pratiti where Brojendra Narayan had talked about his business matters he wrote that in 1930 he had obtained a patch of land in the Kamaplur subdivision from the Tripuri King, Bir Vikram Manikya Bahadur and established tea estate following the footstep of his grandfather, the pioneer among the indigenous tea planters in Sylhet. In this venture Rakesh SenGupta, the brother-in-law of Binoy Bhushan was his close associate who again worked as the first manager of the newly established estate. [There is a photographs showing B.N.Choudhury in his characteristic posture with the smoking pipe at hand in the premises of the managers Banglow in Mahavir TE, which figured Binoy Bhushan and Rakesh SenGupta in it. Another photograph (rather indistinct) shows Binoy Bhushan with the staff of the TE on the background of the Managers bunglow of Mahivir TE.] The same book, however, records that in 1939 the factory for processing of tea had been established and the estate gained its prominence by then. Circumstantial evidence shows that Binoy Bhushan joined the estate sometimes around 1939-40 at the behest of the nationalist-industrialist, B.N.Choudhury. These details of history may not be listened to by those who have no inclination to hear the transition of the Bengalis in the north east, with patience and with the acumen of an academician. The administration which deals with this serious matter gives the ultimate importance to the voters list. Of course, Binoy Bhusan Choudhury, father of Puspita Choudhury (Deb Laskar) had caste his vote in the year 1966 during his tenure of service as Manager at Kalinagar T.E. under Ratabari Constituency,Karimganj for which the related documentary evidence issued from Election Office, Karimganj is obtained ( along with his wife Mrs Joganmoyee Choudhury, two sons, Pradip Choudhury and Biswadeep Choudhury were also eligible voter in that list in 1966) The record is as follows : The Electoral Roll of Ratabari Legislative Assembly Chakra: 1966, Khanda No. 204, Voter no. 344, and House no. 84: Name: Binay Bhushan Choudhury: father, late Mahim Chandra Choudhury: Age 60

Voter no. 345: Jaganmoyee Choudhury: husband Binay Bhushan Choudhury: Age: 48 Voter no. 346: Pradip Chopudhury: Father: Binay BHushan Choudhury: Age Voter no. 347: Biswadeep Choudhury: father Binay BHushan Choudhury: Age Records produced: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Certified copy of the Voters list 1966, Binoy Bhushan Choudhury HSLC Admit Card (attested photo copy) of Puspita Choudhury (later on Deb Laskar) HSLC pass certificate (attested photo copy) of Puspita Choudhury (later on Deb Laskar) Photo copy of the relevant pages of the books referred Photograph of B.B.Choudhury in Tripura

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The movement of Binay Bhushan from Sylhet, Assam to Tripura in the forties, from Tripura to Cachar or Barak valley in the early scxties was not the movement of a displaced personbut the natural movement of an Indian citizen from a portion Indian territory into another portion, from his place of birth, Janmabhumi to his place of work, karmabhumi. As a companion of the nationalist leader B.N.Choudhury, Binay Bhushan was a staunch supporter of the freedom fighters and had subscribed to the national ideal. His name is remembered in the garden areas and its close vicinity for his efficiency, honesty and strictness and for his sincere concern for the welfare of the labourers. His wife Jaganmoyee was an enlightened lady, who took part in the Swedeshi activities, attended swedeshi meeting, demonstration in Sylhet. Of course, no certified copy of all these fact could be produced, but we prefer to keep it in record with the hope that these might one day be corroborated by some other records produced by the authors, historians. Oral narratives needs be preserved even though could not be produced as authentic evidence for the present.