NESO-backed AASU sit-in in Guwahati demanding ouster of illegal Bangladesh immigrants

Guwahati, Aug 18: The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) under the banner of the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), staged a sit-in at Dighalipukhuri, Guwahati, on Monday, demanding the ouster of illegal Bangladesh immigrants from the region.

The demonstration witnessed the participation of a large number of students from across the city. Prominent leaders, including AASU chief adviser Dr. Samujjal Bhattacharya and president Utpal Sarma, led the protest.

“Our identity must be protected from illegal immigrants. Today, under NESO’s banner, all seven northeastern states stood united to demand the removal of illegal Bangladeshis,” Bhattacharya said.

He warned that protests would continue until the central and state governments take concrete steps to safeguard indigenous people.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address, Bhattacharya said the very issues that led to the Assam Accord were resurfacing.

“Each concern raised during the Assam Movement is proving true. Forty-six years on, Assam’s indigenous population continues to face existential threats,” he remarked.

Protests were also witnessed at other states including Meghalaya and Mizoram. In Shillong, the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) staged a sit-in at Khyndai Lad, while in Mizoram, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) demonstrated at Vanapa Hall courtyard.

NESO chairman Samuel Jyrwa, speaking to the press in Shillong, stressed that illegal immigration has been a persistent issue since independence and continues to fuel unrest in states like Assam and Meghalaya.

In Aizawl, MZP president H. Lalthianghlima cautioned that unchecked influx posed severe challenges to the Northeast, particularly Assam, and urged the government to adopt stringent border controls.

In Guwahati, raising strong demands, the protesters listed out the following demands:

• Early completion and proper update of the NRC across the Northeast.
• Constitutional safeguards for the indigenous people of Assam and Tripura.
• Exclusion of the entire Northeast from the purview of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
• Identification and deportation of illegal foreigners.
• Full implementation of the Assam Accord.
• Sealing of the India-Bangladesh border to prevent further infiltration.