In 1912, the historian Upendra Chandra Guha, in his book "History of Cachar" predicted that Bam would develop in the near future and restore its past glory. Less than fifty years after his prophecy, Bam has become even more advanced than in the past. Today, Bam is a prosperous and developed locality, truly moving towards modernity. Given the current pace of progress in Bam, if someone were to try to make a prediction like Upendra Chandra Guha's about what Bam will be like in 100 years, in 2124, they would undoubtedly face significant difficulties. With rapid changes, the geographical identity of 'Bam' is being lost amidst the growing prominence of developing centers like Bhagabazar and Dhalaibazar. Today, people go to Bhagabazar or Dhalaibazar, not to Bam. To preserve the name 'Bam', the people of Bam need to incorporate the word 'Bam' into the names of new educational institutions, organizations, and places. The following institutions have already incorporated the word 'Bam' into their names: Bam Nityananda Multipurpose Higher Secondary School, Rajghat Bam Eidgah, Bam Vidyapeeth High School, Bam Nabakumar High School, Bam High School, Rajnagar, Bam Premananda M.E. School, and Bam Bhagabazar Eidgah. Additionally, to protect the name of Bam from extinction, the residents of Bam can add the word 'Bam' to the village name on invitation cards for weddings, birthdays, funerals, and anniversaries. For example, 'Bam' Bhagabazar, 'Bam' Rajghat. Already, Dhalaibazar is known as 'Bam' Dhalaibazar among the people of mainland Cachar.
Furthermore, the residents of
Bam must uphold this name through activities such as "Bam Festival"
or other similar events. For example, the way the inhabitants of Sheorartal, a
small settlement of 2037 people spread over 75 hectares, recently celebrated
the centenary of the village's founding with such enthusiasm and fervor, and
published a "souvenir" containing congratulatory messages from the
Chief Minister and other ministers, serves as an exemplary instance.
It is extremely important to
present the heritage and identity of Bam to the next generation. Through the
collective efforts of the people of Bam, the glorious name of 'Bam' can be
established even more firmly.
However, even if the name Bam as
a geographical region fades away, one thing is certain: the idiom 'Bam-Bauri'
will remain in the vocabulary of the people of the Cachar mainland to denote a
disconnected, remote, and underdeveloped region.
Conclusion—This article, written
as a partial history of Bam, is the result of the author's research and
personal knowledge and experience. It is based on interviews with many
inhabitants of Bam and on initial discussions about Bam in books and other publications.
It is hoped that this article will inspire researchers at universities in
Northeast India, especially Assam University (Silchar), to undertake research
on the history, geography, wildlife, trade and commerce, and other
interdisciplinary aspects related to Bam. Perhaps someday someone will
undertake the task of writing a complete history of Bam.
Bibliography:
1. History of Cachar – Upendra
Chandra Guha
2. Indigenous Muslims of Assam
with Focus on Barak Valley – Ali Haidar Laskar
3. Antiquities of Cachar – Raj
Mohan Nath
4. Cachar District Gazetteers –
B.C. Allen
5. Statistical Hand Book of
Assam – Hunter
6. Memorable Personalities of
Bam – Sabir Ahmed Chowdhury
7. Mosques of Bam Based on
Information – Sabir Ahmed Chowdhury
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