GUWAHATI: The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) which along with 28 other organizations of indigenous people’s groups met the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal here on Friday afternoon regarding the raging issue over Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, has expressed its dissatisfaction about the response of the Chief Minister terming it not up to the expectation of the AASU and its allies.
Coming out of the meeting with the CM, the AASU adviser Dr Samujjal Bhattacharrya said “We are not happy with the response of the Chief Minister who have not stated that Assam government will oppose the Bill, but only assured that Assam government will hold talks with the Centre in view of raging protests in the state against the amendment Bill.”
“We will continue with our agitation against the Bill till it is scraped as the Bill will spell doom for the language, political and cultural indemnity of indigenous people of Assam which we are not going to let happen, “ Dr Bhattacharrya said adding that AASU and its are ready to hold further dialogue with the government to get a firm decision from the state government to oppose the Bill.
Meanwhile, in a communiqué issued after the meeting, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that the Centre before taking any decision on the Citizenship (Amendment Bill), 2016 would consult the people of Assam and all sections of the people would be taken into confidence.
Allaying the fear of the people surrounding the proposed amendment of the Bill, Sonowal said that protection and providing security to the people of the state was the primary duty and responsibility of the government. He also asked the people of the state not to be apprehensive over the Citizenship Bill as the government would not indulge in anything against the interest of the people of the state. He also said that regarding Citizenship Amendment Bill, he already held talks with the senior citizens, intellectuals, senior journalists and editors and informed everybody that State government would not compromise with the interests of the people of the state. Sonowal, at the same time maintained, “Government is committed to ensure implementation of all clauses of the Assam Accord and it is with the spirit of the Accord that the government is extending all possible support for a correct updated NRC which will be a landmark achievement of the government”.
During the meeting with the representatives of 29 Students and Indigenous organisations led by All Assam Students Union at Assam Administrative Staff College here Sonowal made it clear that State government was working in tandem with the Centre for sealing of the remaining portions of Indo-Bangla Border by December 31 this year. He also informed that the government is taking the help of barbed fencing, smart fencing as well as technological solutions for sealing the entire stretch of the international border that Assam shares with Bangladesh.
Sonowal also appealed to all the organisations and all sections of the people of Assam to show restraint and help to maintain law and after publication of the final draft of the NRC on June 30, the same way they cooperated with the government machinery after the publication of the first draft NRC on December 31, 2017.
On the demand made by different organisations including AASU for signing a bilateral agreement with Bangladesh for the deportation of the illegal Bangladeshi nationals living in Assam, Sonowal assured them to send the proposal to the Centre for a concrete step on the issue.