SHILLONG: The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) has termed the Center’s decision to give sweeping powers to the Assam Rifles to arrest anyone and search a place without warrant as downright tyranny on the indigenous people of the North East.
In a statement issued here, NESO termed the decisions as “unprovoked move by the Government of India (GOI)” and called upon all the indigenous people to be united, alert and to rise to the occasion in the event of any eventuality.
Terming it as ‘unwarranted action’ and ‘state sponsored oppression’, NESO said the Center’s decision reflected the its attitude led by the BJP towards the indigenous people of the North East.
The organisation referred to notification issued by the Government of India through the Ministry of Home Affairs wherein the Center has given sweeping powers to the Assam Rifles to arrest anyone, search any place without any warrant in the states of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.
With threats of agitation over the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) following BJP national president, Amit Shah’s pledge to revive the Bill, NESO asserted the intention in giving sweeping powers to the Assam Rifles was to suppress people’s opposition to the Bill.
“NESO wonders whether this move by the Central Government is in any way connected to the inability of the GOI to table the CAB in the just concluded session of the Rajya Sabha due to the peoples movement, or to put in place the Assam Rifles personnel to oppress any people’s movement in the near future if the BJP brings back the CAB after the Lok Sabha Election,” the NESO statement said.
The organization further berated the Center for coming up with such a decision at a time when the demand to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) continues asserting that the Center would subject the indigenous peoples of the North East to untold misery and suffering through AFSPA.
AFSPA is imposed in Assam, Nagaland, some parts of Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
NESO Comprises of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF), All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU), Garo Students’ Union (GSU) and All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) representing eight major students’ movements of the seven North Eastern States.
