Now is the time to solve foreigners' issue: Assam Students' Union

  • | Thursday | 25th May, 2017

The movement ended with the signing of the Assam Accord, which laid down provisions for the "protection" of indigenous people. He also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to facilitate a bilateral treaty with Bangladesh to enable the deportation of illegal immigrants without any diplomatic hurdles. While former Aasu leaders who donned saffron are now toeing the RSS line and advocating the move, coalition partner Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has been opposing the move. GUWAHATI: When the BJP-led government came to power in the state last year, many thought the three-decade-old " foreigners' issue " would finally be resolved. Former leaders of the Assam Agitation were now in power and the BJP government at the Centre seemed committed to arrive at a solution.

GUWAHATI: When the BJP-led government came to power in the state last year, many thought the three-decade-old " foreigners' issue " would finally be resolved. Former leaders of the Assam Agitation were now in power and the BJP government at the Centre seemed committed to arrive at a solution. As the government completes a year in office, the All Assam Students' Union (Aasu) has raised a clarion call to make the best of the amenable situation and lay the issue to rest."Indeed, it's a golden opportunity to end the foreigner problem in Assam once and for all," said Aasu general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi Between 1979 and 1985, as the anti-foreigner movement raged on, it was Aasu that spearheaded the movement, or Assam Agitation, as it came to be known. The movement ended with the signing of the Assam Accord, which laid down provisions for the "protection" of indigenous people. This would be done in a two-pronged manner - detection and deportation of illegal immigrants, and putting in place constitutional safeguards for indigenous tribes and communities.The Centre's move to regularize the entry of illegal immigrants belonging to religious minority communities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan had triggered a controversy since it would be in direct contravention of the Assam Accord. While former Aasu leaders who donned saffron are now toeing the RSS line and advocating the move, coalition partner Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has been opposing the move."The indigenous people will face a massive identity crisis if Hindus from Bangladesh get Indian citizenship and are allowed to stay on in Assam," said Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, AGP leader and founder of Aasu. Mahanta had taken charge of the state right after the tumultuous period in 1985.This time, Aasu says, there should be no letup in efforts to resolve the "foreigner issue". Union home minister Rajnath Singh had assured an Aasu delegation in Delhi last month that the spirit of the Assam Accord would not be diluted at any cost.Aasu, however, says the onus for convincing the Centre about the steps to be taken on the issue lies with BJP leaders who have assumed power since taking off from the Aasu platform. "Former Aasu leaders who are heading the government should put in all effort to ensure the porous India-Bangladesh border is sealed at the earliest to stop the influx of illegal migrants to our state forever," Lurinjyoti Gogoi said.To ensure this, Aasu has appealed to the Centre and the state government to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) without any errors."We want constitutional safeguards for the indigenous tribes and communities. They have faced a persistent threat from immigrants after it was decided in the Assam Accord that foreigners who entered the state between 1951 and 1971 would be absorbed into the state. At this crucial juncture, the Centre's decision to roll out the red carpet for Bangladeshi Hindus is disappointing," Gogoi said. He also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to facilitate a bilateral treaty with Bangladesh to enable the deportation of illegal immigrants without any diplomatic hurdles.

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