AASU’s Human Chain along the Indo–Bangla Border
Human Chain along the Indo - Bangla Border
Thousands people from various parts of Dhubri district recently thronged to the Indo-Bangla International Border at Lakhimari village under the Sonahat Border Security Force outpost to form a human chain in protest against the unabated infiltration across the Bangladesh border and demanding complete seal of Assam-Bangladesh border.
This human chain along the border, however, reminded the villagers of one such human chain programme that was organized by BJP at the Satrasal border, a few kilometres away from the Lakhimari border and spearheaded by Uma Bharati in 1994.
A cross section of people irrespective of caste, creed and religion and a large number of students assembled at the Indo-Bangla Trade Centre Ground.
Romoni Adhikari, an elderly villager of Tokrerchara - III village calls the human chain programme an alarm bell on the porous Indo-Bangla border which is not reaching the ears of the Central and state government.
“The situation is getting worse day by day and things being as they are, the Central government is paying the least attention to the border villages,” Adhikari said.
Aftab Uddin, a teacher of a venture school in Ratiadoh area under Golokganj police station of Dhubri district who went to the Lakhimari border to attend the human chain programme said that the border has been left to the border security forces and nobody knows what is happening there as after the sun sets, no one is allowed to venture on the border road. “So villagers do not know how the Bangladeshis are entering Indian territory and who are involved in trans-border smuggling including cattle. They (BSF) are the sentinels on the border but after 62 years of partition from India, infiltration continues into India through the porous border”, Uddin resentfully stated.
Speaking in a open meeting at the Indo-Bangla Trade Centre Ground, AASU advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya lambasted the state and Central governments for their total failure in sealing the Indo-Bangla border and as a result of which, not only do the people of Bangladesh have free access to Assam but also many a fundamental militant organization has transformed this border into their haven.
Bhattacharya also said that though it is matter of national security as the border remains unprotected but despite their best
Participants of the human chain programme
efforts and the people’s support, the Centre is not taking the thing seriously and no political party has shown interest in solving this problem of unabated infiltration across the border.
“We will continue to fight till the whole Assam-Bangla border is sealed and farmers whose lands fall behind the barbed fencing are compensated,” Bhattacharya said.
Addressing the meeting, AASU president, Sankar Prosad Roy said that the human chain programme at the Lakhimari border has been organized in protest against the slow pace of barbed fencing works in the border and unabated infiltration across the border.
Roy said that it is almost 24 years since the Assam Accord was signed between the Central government and AASU but many a clausesof the Accord is yet to be implemented.
“The barbed wire fencing along the Indo-Bangla border, first erected in 1987, proved to be redundant as it could neither stop infiltration nor trans-border movement of insurgent groups through the porous areas of the border,” Roy said.
Roy also said that AASU wants the sealing of the 272 kms Indo-Bangla border in Dhubri and Karimganj sector with barbed fencing.
While expressing deep resentment over the poor quality of barbed fencing works, Roy said that AASU is raising the demand for the compensation against land which fell behind the barbed fencing.
He said that owners of the l1000 acres (approx) of land can not go to their land freely for cultivation as there is restriction imposed by the Border Security Forces. So it is better for the government to acquire the land and compensate the poor farmers who lost almost everything during the partition of the country.
Roy claimed that renewed movement against the foreigners would remind of the Assam Movement of 80’s which began with a human chain programme from Dhubri.
Roy added that a similar human chain programme will be held at the Karimganj sector soon.
GUWAHATI, OCT 29 – The AASU has reiterated its demand to remove politicians from the governing body of all educational institutes of the State. The Government, it may be mentioned, had issued an order seeking removal of all the politicians from the governing body of the educational institutes.
However, another notification from the Principal Secretary, Education (Higher) issued on October 9 conceded that majority of the colleges are yet to abide by the earlier notification and further issued a fresh order stating that the senior most of the two University-nominated would be appointed as the interim-chairman of the governing body of those colleges, which still has politicians in the governing body.
Asked to comment, AASU adviser Dr Samujjal Bhattacharya, “We demand that the same rule be made applicable not only for colleges but for all theeducational institutes in the State.”
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| AASU activists burn the effigy of food and civil supplies minister Nazrul Islam in Guwahati on Monday. Picture by Eastern Projections |
Guwahati, Oct. 19: The All Assam Students Union (AASU) refrained from celebrating the birthday of its advisor, Samujjal Bhattacharyya, today and instead took to the streets to protest against the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities.
The AASU activists also burnt the effigy of food and civil supplies minister Nazrul Islam to protest alleged government failure to control the price rise in the state.
A senior leader of the students’ body said they did not celebrate Bhattacharyya’s birthday because the soaring prices of essential commodities had badly affected the poor, lower middle and middle class families.
“It is hard to celebrate when the rising prices has put a great burden on not just the poor but also on the middle class,” an AASU member said.
The activists of the “anchalik” units of the AASU burnt the effigy of the food and civil supplies minister in their respective areas across the state today.
In Guwahati, the members of All Guwahati Students Union set Islam’s effigy on fire near Gauhati High Court around 12.30pm and shouted anti-government slogans for its failure to arrest price rise.
The protesters alleged that the worthlessness of the minister and the state government had led to a rise in the prices of essential commodities in the state.
They also criticised chief minister Tarun Gogoi for indirectly supporting the price rise by arguing in favour of the traders.
The AASU activists will stage a dharna at all district headquarters of the state tomorrow to protest the government’s inaction. The sit-ins will be organised outside the deputy commissioners’ offices.
The Opposition AGP this evening announced a Dispur chalo march on October 26 to protest against price rise.
Guwahati, Oct 13 (PTI) The All Assam Students Union (AASU) today formed a human chain along the Indo-Bangladesh frontier in Assam's Dhubri district demanding completion of border fencing at the earliest.
The influential students' body formed the chain at Sonahat area in protest against illegal infiltration and the government's alleged failure in completing fencing.
The AASU is also demanding resolution of the illegal foreigners' issue through implementation of the Assam Accord within a definite time frame.
Officials said there was no report of any untoward incident during the protest.
The AASU had staged a sit-in demonstration and hunger strike on October 10 to press for the same demands.
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| AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya in Guwahati on Tuesday. Picture by Eastern Projections |
Guwahati, Aug. 26 : The All Assam Students Union (AASU) today struck at the new found bonhomie among the AGP leaders, saying it will never tolerate a clean chit to former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta over the secret killings that rocked Assam during the regional party’s regime.
The union’s stand comes within days of the AGP leadership giving Mahanta more say in the party.
The union said by exonerating Mahanta from the secret killing charges, party president Chandra Mohan Patowary had made himself an accomplice.
AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya said hundreds of youths were killed during Mahanta’s tenure. He said Mahanta who led the Assam movement knew the secret killers but did nothing to punish them.
“How can the people of Assam believe Mahanta again? And how could Patowary dare to give a clean chit to Mahanta? The AASU warns Patowary and his party not to take sides with Mahanta as it would insult the sacrifices made by the people of Assam,” Bhattacharyya said.
On Sunday, Patowary and “sidelined” Mahanta had jointly addressed a news conference and announced a slew of combined public meetings to strengthen the AGP at the grassroots level.
Bhattacharyya said Mahanta and the AGP couldn’t escape the charges of secret killings.
He said the AGP leadership’s move to give Mahanta the driver’s seat in the party would help the Tarun Gogoi government and the misdeeds of Mahanta would once again become the election issue of the ruling party.
“Mahanta has lost the moral right to lead the people because of his unpardonable misdeeds, particularly the secret killings,” he said.
The union also termed the statement of Patowary that the Assam Accord could not be implemented during the AGP’s regime because of the enforcement of the IM(DT) Act as “ridiculous and misleading”.
“The AGP government did not take any step to effectively seal the Assam-Bangladesh border and safeguard the interests of the indigenous people. The Mahanta government could not reopen the Ashok Paper Mill, an important clause of the Accord. Will the present AGP leadership also blame the IM(DT) Act for failure in these fronts?” he asked.
Dispur this evening said it was reinvestigating some of the secret killing cases as recommended by the K.N. Saikia Commission. Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said some cases were being reinvestigated.
GUWAHATI, Aug 21 – The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) today questioned the integrity of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and DoNER Minister Bijoy Krishna Handique alleging that both the leaders have failed to take up the cause of the local youths as far as ensuring 100 per cent job reservation for the local candidates in the Assam Gas Cracker Project is concerned. “The Assam Gas Cracker Project is the result of Assam agitation and Assam Accord aimed at economic development of the State, besides ensuring employment for the NE youths, which is why reservation of 100 per cent jobs for the local youths is a must,” said AASU adviser Dr Samujjal Bhattacharya.
Earlier today, members of AASU gheroed the Assam Gas Cracker Project camp office at the Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok building and halted the interview process for 57 posts of trainee engineers and human resource department official as the part of first recruitment drive for the Gas Cracker Project.
The interview process was halted for almost two-and-a half hours and it resumed only after the BPCL authorities ensured to take up the matter in the next board meeting.
“The BPCL authorities reasoned that as the interview was being conducted at the all-India level, our demand for 100 per cent reservation couldn’t be met. However, they later assured that maximum number of jobs would be given to the local candidates,” Dr Bhattacharya stated.
“Of the 450 candidates called for viva today, there were only 46 candidates from the region. This is a conspiracy against the local youths and we will intensify our movement if cent per cent reservation is not ensured,” Dr Bhattacharya said.
The AASU, it may be mentioned, had already written to the Prime Minister, DoNER Minister and the State Chief Minister pressing for 100 per cent job reservation for local youths of the NE.
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.
GUWAHATI, Aug 10 – A delegation of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), which had visited the conflict-ridden NC Hills district recently, today said that lack of initiative on the part of the State Government was perpetuating the violence and unrest in the area.
In a statement, the AASU said that interactions with both the Dimasas and the Zemes made it clear that there was no enmity as such between the two groups and both were in favour of lasting peace.
“But the Government virtually has no existence in the district, allowing the miscreants to have a free run,” it said, adding that the condition in the relief camps was also pathetic with shortage of food being a major problem.
Guwahati, Aug 5 : The All Assam Students’ Union and the Takam Missing Porin Kebang, an apex body of Mising students, today announced a joint movement against Dispur and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation for ignoring the interim report of a five-member expert committee on the Lower Subansiri hydroelectric project.
The project is being executed by the power corporation at Gerukamukh village in Dhemaji along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border to generate 2,000MW electricity.
After a daylong meeting between AASU and the Mising students’ union, AASU adviser Sammujjal Bhattacharyya told the media that the expert committee had expressed apprehension and doubt about adverse downstream impact of the Lower Subansiri project.
He said the committee had recommended that work for the project be stopped till the final report was out.
The committee with experts from Gauhati University, Dibrugarh University and IIT Guwahati was formed following a tripartite meeting between the state government, the NHPC and the AASU in December 2006.
“The expert committee had submitted its report to the Assam government and the NHPC in February this year. But till now construction of the Lower Subansiri dam has not been stopped. It is surprising why the NHPC is now not following the interim report’s recommendation and suggestion,” Bhattacharyya said.
“The Assam government is a mute spectator. The AASU and the TMPK have smelt a rat and there is big conspiracy behind the construction of the Lower Subansiri dam.”
As part of the first phase of stir the AASU and the Mising students will stage satyagraha in all district headquarters in the state on August 18, demanding an immediate halt to execution of the project.
The president of TMPK, Johan Doley, said Lakhimpur district had already started witnessing the adverse impacts of Ronganadi hydel power project.
Artificial floods caused by release of excess water from the Ronganadi dam was submerging large areas in the district, including Lakhimpur town.
“The next phase of our agitation will be submission of a joint memoranda by the AASU and the TMPK to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union power minister Sushilkumar Shinde, Assam chief minister Taun Gogoi and power minister demanding strict actions against the NHPC if it does not follow the interim report of expert committee,” Doley said
Dibrugarh, April 7 : Lakhimpur town today witnessed a groundswell of public outrage over the deaths of 14 people in yesterday’s hooch tragedy with the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) spearheading the protest against illegal liquor trade that has allegedly struck deep roots in the district.
The students’ union has also demanded a judicial inquiry.
Official sources said the state government had suspended two excise department officials, including the superintendent of excise of Lakhi-mpur district, Padmeswar Pegu, for dereliction of duty and their alle-ged nexus with illegal liquor merchants.
A two-hour sit-in was organised under the aegis of the North Lakhimpur Regional Students’ Union of the AASU at AASU Swahid Bhawan from 10am. All the 22 local units of AASU in Lakhimpur district staged black-flag demonstrations.
“We have demanded a judicial inquiry; we believe that an influential lobby of corrupt politicians in collusion with the excise department and police to some extent are working behind the scene to ensure that the illegal liquor business continues to flourish in the district,” the president of the Lakhimpur district committee of AASU, Amal Goswami, said.
The students’ union will move the Human Rights Commission in this regard. “Some people are playing games with the lives of others in blatant violation of human rights. We have, therefore, decided to move the rights panel,” Goswami said.
The students’ union submitted a memorandum listing their demands.
Pator, who is also the Lakhimpur Sadar circle officer, came to meet the students during their sit-ins.
Lakhimpur deputy commissioner Jayant Narlikar today said over telephone that the period of magisterial inquiry had been extended by another couple of days.
GUWAHATI, March 22 – The All Assam Students Union (AASU) has expressed its consternation over media reports about Bokakhat MLA Jiten Gogoi and Thowra MLA Kushal Duori carrying out assaults on Forest Personnel, including ranger Dharanidhar Boro, inside Kaziranga National Park, and condemned the incident. In an official release, AASU president Shankar Prasad Ray and general secretary Tapan Kumar Gogoi described the incident as indicative of the lawless condition in Assam under Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
The duo expressed surprise that Gogoi, who is also in charge of the Home Department, has been unable to take any action against those involved in the offence. Stating that the Chief Minister has not taken any steps because of election-centred politics, the AASU urged that immediate action be taken against those responsible. The role of Forest Minister in this regard also attracted criticism from AASU.
Sangma threatens stir over PR in Meghalaya
New Delhi, March 21 – Enraged at the imposition of President’s Rule in Meghalaya, senior NCP leader P A Sangma today met JDU president Sharad Yadav to enlist his support for his movement against the Centre’s decision and threatened to go on a fast unto death if the decision is not revoked, reports PTI.
“If President’s Rule in the state is not revoked by Tuesday, I, along with other leaders from the north east, would go on a fast unto death from Wednesday in Delhi,” Sangma told reporters after the meeting with Yadav. He said apart from this hunger strike, similar fasts will be launched in the state and district capitals of Meghalaya.
The NCP leader said that he met the JDU chief who has assured all support to the agitation for getting Governor’s rule in the state revoked.
Asked whether he is joining NDA, Sangma said “nothing about elections was discussed in the meeting with Sharadji”. He said he has already met BJP’s prime ministerial candidate L K Advani and Prakash Karat of the CPI-M and plans to meet JDS chief Deve Gowda later today.
Several leaders of the north east accompanied Sangma in the meeting with Yadav. He claimed that all non-Congress parties are supporting his demand. To a query if his agitation meant a break-up of the alliance of NCP with the Congress, Sangma said the “alliance was not at the national but state level”
Yadav said the UPA government has flouted constitutional norms and propriety by imposing President’s Rule in Meghalaya. “For political benefit, UPA has imposed President’s Rule,” the JDU president told reporters.
Leaders of Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) led by Sangma rushed here on Thursday and are meeting various party leaders to garner support against the imposition of President’s Rule terming it unwarranted and unprecedented.
The MPA leaders are also exploring possibilities of moving the Supreme Court to challenge the UPA government’s decision.
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| AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya addresses the media in Guwahati on Friday. Picture by Eastern Projections |
Guwahati, March 21 : The influential All Assam Students’ Union today demanded an action plan from each political party and non-party candidates contesting the parliamentary elections.
The students’ union alleged that the parties and their candidates had been cheating the people of Assam with false promises before the elections. Addressing the media here, AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya said: “But this time, all must come up with a thorough action plan as to how they will go about resolving various burning issues of the state and within what period of time.” The students’ union, however, did not specify what steps it would take against the candidates or the parties if they failed to come up with the action plan. “We will take a decision in this regard at our next executive meeting,” AASU president Sankar Prasad Rai said. Bhattacharyya said the action plan should mention what steps a candidate would take to weed out fundamentalist organisations operating in Assam. “It is a pity that no political party or candidate has spoken against the fundamentalist organisations although they pose a major threat to the state.” Bhattacharyya said each candidate should frame an action plan for the proper implementation of the Assam Accord vis-à-vis sealing of the international border, deportation of migrants who entered the state after 1971, issuance of the National Registration Certificate and a special package for the martyrs of the Assam Agitation. The general secretary of the students’ union, Tapan Gogoi, said: “During campaigning, most of the candidates promise to do the needful for the implementation of the Assam Accord. But they forget all these after the elections. This time, they will have to come out with an action plan stating that he/she will do this and that and within a stipulated timeframe.” The students’ union said the candidates should have a clear policy on how to improve the state’s academic scenario. The union demanded that each candidate specify what steps would be taken to set up an Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, an Indian Institute of Management and an Indian Institute of Information Technology and maintain a steady flow of funds to the three universities of the state. |
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GUWAHATI, March 18 : The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) today demanded the State Government to institute a probe into the alleged gross irregularities in the printing of the question papers of High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) and Higher Secondary examination held in the current session.
The students’ body pointed out that the students appearing in the HSLC exams under the Board of Secondary Education of Assam (SEBA) had to appear for 102 marks in Assamese instead of 100, while in the HS exams the candidates were put against questions outside their respective courses in subjects like Biology, English and Advance Assamese.
“This is sheer injustice done against the students and the authorities responsible for it should be punished,” AASU adviser Dr Samujjal Bhattacharya demanded while speaking to reporters here today.
Dr Bhattacharya insisted that the State Government must sort out a mechanism to make up for the injustice done to the candidates who appeared in the examination.
“This is not the first time that such gross irregularities have cropped up. We, in the recent years, have seen a series of such instances, which has emerged as threat to the future of the students,” he asserted, adding that the students’ body in view of the gross irregularities would stage protest rally in all district headquarters of the State and also submit a memorandum to the Governor through the Deputy Commissioner.
AASU general secretary Tapan Kumar Gogoi while endorsing the need for streamlining the examination system said that the recurring goof ups made by the SEBA and the Council proves their inefficiency and lack of transparency.
“In spite of getting all the facilities from the Government, one fail to understand as to where lies the problem,” AASU president Sankar Prasad Rai stated.
The AASU will also observe March 18 as black day against the merciless attack on the teachers, who were demanding provincialisation of schools, on Monday and would also move the Human Rights Commission against the ‘atrocity’.
Meanwhile, a team of AASU would meet the commission constituted to inquire into the alleged scam in the re-examination system of HSLC.
The students’ body had earlier alleged that there exists gross anomalies in the entire system of re-examination and it had proves to establish its allegation.
JORHAT, Mar 2 : The Jorhat regional unit of All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) alleged that the director in-charge of the Cost Of Cultivation Centre (COCC) and the Agro Economy Research Centre (AERC), under Asom Agriculture University (AAU), have allegedly appointed some persons in some vacant posts by violating the rules and regulations of the recruitment procedure. It also alleged that the directors of the COCC and AERC had not published any advertisements through newspapers in this regard.
The students’ body in a press release alleged, at a time when the unemployment problem has been proved to be a burning issue in the State, the director of the AERC has appointed some retired employees in contractual basis. Apart from this, the director himself has been holding three major posts in the AAU.
Demanding the immediate dismissal of the alleged appointment, the students’ body urged the district administration as well as the State Government to appoint permanent directors in the said centres to prevent such anomalies.
Moreover, the director has allegedly deputed a number of contractors of his own choice to work on some development schemes for his self interest. Since these schemes are of the Central Government, it needs to be tendered openly, but the director did not do so, they added.
Demanding an immediate action Sumanta Hazarika and Bhargab Borthakur, president and secretary respectively of JRSU, have sent memoranda to the Vice Chancellor of AAU and the chairman of the Advisory Body of COCC and AERC under AAU in this regard. They also warned the authorities concerned of agitation if they fail to act against such mispractice.
When the director contacted over telephone in this regard, he refuted the allegations levelled against him and had not violated any guidelines prescribed by AAU.
