SILCHAR, Aug 10 - After two days of protest against the alleged injustice meted out to a section of local residents of Irongmara who donated their land for the construction of the Assam University, Silchar, and total disruption of the academic and administrative activities at the varsity, members of the association formed to espouse the cause of the land donors called off their stir today.
As part of their protest, the agitators had blocked the Silchar-Hailakandi road connecting the university, which created massive traffic snarls at both ends.
�The Government acquired 350 bighas of land from the local residents of the area for the construction of the university with the promise to provide jobs to one member from the donor families and 10 per cent reservation for students belonging to the families of land donors seeking admission in the university. But sadly, the promise has not been kept so far,� Paban Kumar Koiri, president of the association, complained.
Echoing Koiri, Babul Kumar, chief adviser of the association, said: �We have been raising this demand for many years now. People living in the area parted with their land with the hope to get due compensation. But over the years, we have been duped with empty promises. Barring a negligible number, our men have not got adequate jobs in the central university, nor have we been sufficiently compensated for our land.�
Prof Dilip Chandra Nath, Vice Chancellor of Assam University, told this correspondent that since the Government had taken over the land, the agitators should approach the appropriate authorities with their demands instead of disturbing the routine affairs of the institution. �Many local people in the vicinity have been absorbed in the university in various capacities. However, if they (the landless section of the locals) have any further demands, they should approach the Government and the district administration. The disruption of academic and administrative affairs in the university must be stopped. The civil administration must look into the law-and-order situation arising out of this, the Vice Chancellor maintained.
Meanwhile, Cachar Deputy Commissioner S Vishwanathan said that steps have been initiated to resolve the issue between the agitators and the university authorities.
