Guwahati, August 25: The All Assam Bengali Youth Students’ Federation (AABYSF) has sought Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria’s intervention in regard to addressing certain key issues and pending grievances of the Hindu Bengalis and their descendants who have been residing in Assam prior to January 1, 1966.
A seven-member delegation of the students’ federation met the Governor here on Thursday and submitted a memorandum, highlighting key issues affecting Bengali Hindus living in Assam.
The students’ federation stated that notices from foreigners’ tribunals and the Assam government continue to be issued to certain members of the Hindu Bengali community who have been lawfully residing in Assam prior to January 1, 1966.
“Despite the Government of India coming out with the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950 to legitimise the settlement of persecuted Hindus in Assam, Bengali Hindus continue to be harassed by way of such notices from time to time,” the federation’s working president (central committee), Nirmal Kanti Seal told The Shillong Times on Friday.
“A judgment of the Supreme Court had also revived the Act, thereby granting legal protection to the Hindus settled in Assam,” Seal said, adding that a memorandum in this regard has already been submitted to the chief minister.
“Pertinently, the siblings born of Hindus settled in Assam from East Pakistan are not migrants but citizens of India by birth,” the memorandum submitted to the Governor read.
Another concern raised by the federation was the non-issuance of Aadhaar cards to genuine Indian citizens.
“It has become a perennial problem since the process of National Register of Citizens (NRC) was undertaken in Assam as per the apex court’s directive. The Aadhaar numbers of citizens who have undergone biometrics at different NRC Seva Kendras in the last phase of verification have been blocked till the final list was out. Now even after the final list is out, the Aadhaar number/cards of 27 lakh residents of Assam continue to remain blocked/ inoperative, as a result of which such people cannot apply for government schemes and benefits and even take admission in the educational institutes in the absence of valid Aadhaar cards,” the memorandum read.
Seal said there would be about one lakh members of the Hindu Bengali community who have not been issued Aadhaar cards.
The federation also demanded permanent land patta to scheduled caste (SC) communities living in the tribal belts of Assam.
“Religiously persecuted Hindus, most of whom are farmers and belong to the SC community, were given settlement by the government with land for their livelihood. Such people have lived in the state for more than 60 years, while some have been living permanently in tribal belts/blocks also. Such people need to be given permanent land patta,” the federation mentioned in the memorandum.
“Besides, the promises made to the families of the Dhola massacre victims (of 2018) by the government are yet to be fulfilled. Five innocent persons had lost their lives. We have also raised this issue in the memorandum to the Governor,” the federation’s working president said.