Bimal Borah issues statement regarding photo of Assamese-Bangla paired Gamosa

• Image Credit: Google

• Mar 27, 2023 | Dhupali Das

Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding an Assamese-Bangla combined gamosa, Assam Cultural Affairs Minister Bimal Borah claimed in a statement that the... 

Digital Desk: Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding an Assamese-Bangla combined gamosa, Assam Cultural Affairs Minister Bimal Borah asserted in a statement that the widely circulated photo of him holding the gamosa was in fact taken one and a half years ago.

While speaking to the media about the viral photo, he stated, "Assamese gamosa will always remain as it is. Pairing it with another community's gamosa or giving it a different structure or design will naturally hurt the feelings of the Assamese community."

"The image that is trending on social media was taken one and a half years ago," Borah added. 

The Bangla Sahitya Sabha honoured Assamese-Bangla paired gamosa to their guests, including Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, during its first state-level meeting.

Notably, the gamosa controversy caused outrage among the Assamese community.

In addition to the photo of Ranoj Pegu sporting the paired gamosa around his neck, a picture of Bimal Borah smiling while holding the gamosa was making the rounds on social media.

Following the uproar, Ranoj Pegu released a clarification yesterday.

"At the first Bangla Sahitya Sabha conference, they kept the photo of Rabindranath Tagore on one side and the photo of Lakshminath Bezbaruah on the other side. They identify themselves as Bengali-speaking Assamese people. At the occasion, they presented me with a paired gamosa."

"Gamosa received the GI designation, which implies that no other state or territory is entitled to claim gamosa as their own. It was simply a ceremony in which we were honoured with the gamosa. Gamosa will always be gamosa, and no one else can claim it as their own, so I don't think there needs to be any controversy about this," he added. 

The general public, however, did not agree with his claim.