Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

Anti-migrant platform to move court against notification

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Oct 24 - The platform of those involved in the Assam Agitation has decided to move the court against the Central government�s decision to provide shelter to the foreigners who had come to India from Bangladesh and Pakistan because of religious persecution in their own countries. The organisation is also launching a statewide movement against the Centre�s move.

Talking to The Assam Tribune, former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, who is also the chief adviser of the new platform, said that as an agitation might not force the Centre to withdraw its notification on providing shelter to foreigners, a decision has been taken to move the court. However, at the same time, he said that the agitation against the Centre�s decision would continue.

Mahanta expressed the view that all the organisations, opposing the Centre�s decision to provide shelter to foreigners, should join hands for a strong movement. He said that the new platform, which is a non-political one, would hold meetings in different parts of the State to involve all those who had participated in the Assam Agitation, in the movement against the Centre�s decision. He said that the first meeting would be held in Dibrugarh on November 6. It will be followed by meetings in other districts of the State.

The former Chief Minister admitted that as the younger generation of the State is not even aware of the Assam Agitation and the Accord, efforts would be made to launch an awareness drive all over the State.

He pointed out that Assam has already taken the burden of foreigners and refugees, who came to Assam up to the midnight of March 24, 1971 and the State is not in a position to take any more burden of foreigners. He said that the indigenous people of the State would become minorities in their own land if the Centre�s decision is implemented on the ground.

Reacting to the allegation that during its two tenures in power, the AGP-led Government in the State failed to take any effective step for the implementation of the Assam Accord, Mahanta said that the Union Home Ministry, which is the nodal Ministry for the implementation of the Accord, did not play its role. He said that a committee headed by former Union Minister Dinesh Goswami was formed for providing constitutional protection to the indigenous people of Assam. But the Centre did not implement the recommendations of the Committee. Similarly, the report of a committee headed by Paragdhar Chaliha for protection of the cultural heritage of the State is also gathering dust because of lack of sincerity of the Centre.

Next Story