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AASU, allied bodies hail Speaker�s report

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, March 31 � While Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly Pranab Gogoi faced strong opposition from the Congress and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) in the Assembly for his report on the definition of Assamese people, he has received full support from the All Assam Students� Union (AASU) and 26 organisations representing different ethnic groups of the State.

The AASU and the 26 organisations hailed the move of the Speaker and described it as a �historic step�. They called upon all sections of people of the State to extend support to the recommendations given by the Speaker after consulting different organisations of the State in the interest of protection of the identity of the indigenous people of Assam.

Meanwhile, talking to The Assam Tribune, AASU general secretary Tapan Kumar Gogoi pointed out that the student body had been demanding reservation of seats in the Assembly, Parliament and local bodies for indigenous people of the State and the definition of Assamese people was required for such seat reservations. For years, the State government failed to take effective steps for finalising the definition of Assamese people, but the Assembly Speaker took personal initiative to hold talks with different organisations and came up with a suggestion in this regard. Now everyone should support the report of the Speaker, he said.

Gogoi demanded that the Central and State governments should implement the recommendation of the Speaker without further delay in the interest of protecting the identity of the indigenous people of the State.

Meanwhile, the AASU has resented the opposition to the Speaker�s move, adding that anyone who is in favour of the indigenous people of the State, cannot oppose such a move. �Today it was clear who is in favour of indigenous people and who is in favour of Bangladeshi nationals. The parties which opposed the move did so in the interest of protecting their vote bank of Bangladeshi nationals, � said Gogoi.

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