AASU seeks clarity from parties on identity, NRC & development ahead of Assam polls

Guwahati, March 21: Ahead of the ensuing State Assembly polls, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) has called upon political parties to make their position clear on key issues of the State, including the threat to the identity of indigenous people.

Talking to The Assam Tribune, AASU president Utpal Sarma said that the quest for identity and developmental goals are two of the key issues for the indigenous people and the political parties should make their stand clear on these issues before the polls.

Sarma said that the parties should have a clear vision on how to eradicate the threat to the identity of indigenous people of the State, while finalizing the short and long-term developmental goals.

He said that the parties should make their stand clear on implementation of all the clauses of the Assam Accord within a specific time frame. The parties should also make it clear how Constitutional protection will be given to the indigenous people under the provisions of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord and by implementing the Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma Committee report.

Detection and deportation of foreigners from Assam is another key issue, and for this, an error-free National Register of Citizens (NRC) would have to be prepared. The parties should make it clear how they would work for an error-free NRC.

The parties should also make their stand clear on the “discriminatory” Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.

The Sixth Schedule areas are exempted from the CAA’s purview, while, the states having Inner Line Permit system are also exempted. The CAA should be exempted from the entire Northeast region, he said.

On the development front, Sarma said that fast economic growth is required for providing ease of living to the people. Beneficiary-based economy is not a viable economy and it is high time the political parties try to bring in industry-academia relations so that the youths of the State get jobs in the industries that are coming up in Assam.

He said that at the time of India’s independence, the per capita income of Assam was 4 per cent higher than the national average but now it is much lower than the national average. Efforts must be made to bring up the per capita income of Assam so that it is once again higher than the national average.

The AASU president also called for environment-friendly development and called upon the political parties to make their stand clear on the issue.

Sarma further said that the parties should also clarify their policies for dealing with flood and erosion.