GUWAHATI, April 1 � Reacting sharply to the �anti-Assamese� stand taken by the majority of the Assam Legislative Assembly represented by the Congress and the AIUDF in respect of the formula forwarded by Speaker Pranab Gogoi, veteran journalist DN Chakravartty said that the Assamese people had once again been confronted with one of their gravest ever crises.
Chakravartty said that some brilliant lawyers of the State should approach the Supreme Court of India to salvage the Assamese community from the great misfortune of losing their identity in their own soil.
Pointing out that while the Assam government, as well as the Assembly had failed to bring out an acceptable definition of the Assamese community and the Minister in charge of Assam Accord Implementation Dr Bhumidhar Barman himself acknowledged in the House about their failure to spell out a broadly acceptable formula, Chakravartty said that Speaker Gogoi, with best of intention and sincerity, had taken the initiative to ascertain the views from a cross section of the people of the State represented by lawyers, intellectuals, socio-cultural organisations and over 20 ethnic groups.
�While the entire Assamese society, including the indigenous tribal communities and tea tribes, had accepted the definition propounded by Speaker Gogoi, it was most unfortunate that the Congress surrendered shamelessly to the whimsical, unconstitutional and illegal demand of the AIUDF to accept all the Bengali-speaking Muslims hailing from erstwhile East Bengal, East Pakistan and present Bangladesh as Assamese,� he said.
Chakravartty said that it was evident that it would not be possible for the Assamese people to expect a genuine decision from the present Assam Assembly, as the Congress would not venture to antagonize the Bengali-speaking Muslims of the State of whatever denomination.
Chakravartty said that in such a crucial situation, which could be compared with the days of invasion of Mirzumla and the Burmese invasion, the Assamese people should seek final relief and succour only from the Supreme Court of India.
