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, Apr 11 : The All Assam Students Union(AASU) today demanded complete annihilation of terrorism in the state.
In a statement, the union made it clear that nothing less than crushing terrorism would satisfy them.
AASU advisor Dr Samujjal K Bhattacharya said, ”We want complete annihilation(of terrorism). Specially those being sponsored by Islamic forces. The government is soft towards Muslim terrorists. It does not order crack down in the Char areas, which have been infested by Islamic terrorists.” Regarding the elections, he said none of the political parties addressed the larger issues of the state.
”The Congress conveniently forgot the infiltration issue as well as the ‘Assam Accord’ although the same was signed by the husband of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. The BJP had nothing in their main manifesto and the AGP never talked about education. We do not need manifestos, which are nothing but meaningless documents. We need action plan,” he said.
The AASU urged the electorate to express their opinion and select candidates sympathetic to the genuine problems and issues of the state. The AASU in fact listed infiltration, education, unemployment, flood and communal harmony as the main issues before the elections.
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.