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GUWAHATI, Aug 15 – The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) has warned the Centre and the State Government of a vigorous movement across the State unless a specific time frame is announced for implementation of the Assam Accord, which is completing its 24 years tomorrow. The student body – a party to the historic accord signed during the tenure of the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi – is staging a hunger strike from 6 am of August 14 till the Tricolour is unfurled in government functions on August 15.

“Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and State Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi should announce a fixed timeframe and an action plan for implementation of the accord completely. It has now become the question of survival for the State and its people,” said AASU advisor Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharya.

“Identification of illegal Bangladeshis and their deportation, updating of the NRC, providing constitutional safeguards to the Assamese people, sealing the Indo-Bangladesh border, declaring Assam floods as a national calamity, generating employment opportunities for the unemployed youth and all other clauses of the accord should be implemented within a stipulated time. The governments should declare the time limit for the implementation, at the Independence Day function tomorrow,” he added.

Lambasting the State Government for not taking steps towards this, the AASU alleged that there is a vast difference between the promises and deeds of the State Government.

“It is an accord signed by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, but it seems that neither UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh nor Tarun Gogoi have any regard for the promises made by the former PM,” Bhattacharya said.

“Illegal intrusion and porous border are the problems threatening the very existence of the indigenous people, and the AASU would take every step to protect the interests of Assamese people,” he added.

Raising the issues of floods and security of the riverine borders, the student body said that no serious steps have been taken to solve these problems. Whereas other States are getting enough funds from the Central Government for natural calamities, the devastating floods in Assam are yet to get the Centre’s attention, mentioned AASU president Sankar Prasad Roy.

“The hunger strike is not a boycott of the national function, as we are going to hoist the flag at our Swahid Nyas in Guwahati. We are for the unity and integrity of the nation,” Bhattacharya added.