JORHAT, Aug 26 - The Jorhat district unit of the AJYCP organised a seminar on the demand for introducing Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Assam under which outsiders wishing to visit the state will have to collect the permit to be issued by the state government.
The speakers at the seminar, organised at the Radha Kanta Handique Memorial Hall here, batted for introduction of the ILP as it was one of the most important measures required urgently to check large-scale influx of illegal migrants to Assam.
The speakers said that to protect and preserve the culture, heritage and identity of the indigenous people of the state, introduction of the ILP is very much essential as it is already in place in other north-eastern states like Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
Associate Professor of the Political Science department of Jorhat College Ranjit Hazarika and Assistant Professor of the same department Bidyut Bora were among the key speakers.�
Siva Kalita, finance secretary of the students� body, while inaugurating the seminar, said that�the ILP application in Assam is one of the long-standing demands of AJYCP that is the only option to check influx.
Kalita said that neighbouring states were much better-placed in terms of the problem of influx of illegal migrants.
The Jorhat district unit AJYCP president Ritul Pathak conducted the seminar while Jorhat district unit AJYCP general secretary Babu Dutta gave the welcome address.
Jonai Correspondent adds: In Dhemaji, the AJYCP organised a seminar on the ILP issue on instructions from the central committee of the students� body.
Addressing the seminar as resource person, retired Principal of Dhemaji College, Dr Budhin Baruah said that introduction of ILP in the state is the need of the hour to indentify the immigrants and non-bonafide people.
He informed that ILP provision for Indian states was included in the Constitution a long time back. He added that natural resources and ethnic identity in terms of language and culture would be safe due to enforcement of ILP system in the state and that would also help in identifying the foreigners. He asked the people to learn a lesson from Arunachal Pradesh and to be conscious on the issue.
Senior AJYCP leader Ratul Borgohain said the students� union has been demanding the Central and the state governments to introduce the ILP and dual citizenship in Assam, but there was lack of political will to realize their demands. He alleged that political leader and eminent intellectuals, who earlier realized the necessity of ILP to be enforced in the state, are now keeping mum over the issue for vested political interest.
�The politicians are playing divide and rule policy in order to suppress the voice of the organizations on the issue thereby ignoring their demand for last 40 years�, Borgohain lamented while adding that the union has chalked out a plan to sensitize the union members on the issue for public mobilization.
Another central committee leader of the students� union Debajeet Das explained in details about issue. He also underscored the need for ILP and dual citizenship in order to safeguard the indigenous people.
Meanwhile, the AJYCP has chalked out an action plan to conduct a series of mass awareness meeting and gather consensus on ILP and dual citizenship issues covering all sub-committees (anchalik).
Morigaon Correspondent adds: The AJYCP also organized a seminar on �Inner Line Permit� which was attended by Tiwa Yuba Chatra Parishad, All Koch Rajbongshi Students� Union, Garia Maria Deshi Jatiya Parishad etc., took part. The seminar was conducted by Lalit Chandra Pachani, president, Morigaon district unit of the AJYCP.
Speaking on the occasion, Achuyat Das, Assistant Professor, Political Science, Morigaon College dwelt at length on the ILP system in pre-independence period in undivided Assam and how Assam suffered due to lack of the system today at a time when ILP system is applicable in Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
Addressing the gathering, Pratap Hazarika, president, Sadou Asom Gramya Puthibharal Santha explained political history of Assam and said that to safeguard the Assamese nationality, the ILP system must be put in place in Assam.
Speaking on the occasion, Ajit Konwar, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Morigaon College said that to ensure the economic rights of the indigenous people of Assam is the need of the hour and in that case the points raised by AJYCP is relevant. Sibaji Deka, president, Morigaon unit of All Koch Rajbongshi Students� Union blamed all the political parties whose role were destructive in the protection of rights of the indigenous tribes of Assam.
