NAGAON, June 28 - The Nagaon and Hojai units of the All Assam Journalists� Union (AAJU) organised a programme yesterday at Renaissance Junior College here to make the common people aware about the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
In the meet, presided over by senior journalist Abu Hanifa, Pankaj Kumar Nath, Central President of AAJU, said that the journalist fraternity of Assam has stood for the interest of the State in every crisis. Nath recalled how the greater Assamese society was formed with contributions of many people, including Padmanath Gohain Borooah, Harendra Nath Borooah, Radha Govinda Baruah, Kirtinath Hazarika and Prafulla Chandra Borooah, among others.
He said that if the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 is passed, then the indigenous people of the State will lose their political rights, and appealed to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to intervene in the matter.
Paragmani Aditya, chief editor, News 18 North East, recalled some of the achievements of Assam, and said the State knew how to purify iron even before the Europeans. He said that to establish cordial relations with neighbouring countries, Assam deputed an emissary to China in 446 AD. The Assamese civilization existed even before Christ, and could be traced back to an Assamese script found in Dinajpur.
Paragmani Aditya urged the people that there should not be any communal conflict in the name of the citizenship Bill.
Atulananda Goswami of Dainik Asam said that nobody should be allowed to take any political mileage out of the controversy over the amendment of the Bill. He appreciated the AAJU for its move to create awareness among the masses over the proposed amendment of the Bill. Dugdha Ram Kalita, genera secretary of the Assam Tribune Employees� Union (ATEU) said that in order to tide over such crises, we have to improve our work culture. We have to create high-ranking officials so that we can compete with Delhi and officials from other States, he said.
Nilutpal Bora, District Secretary of AAJU, Working President Faizur Rahman, ATEU president Santanava Hazarika, senior journalist Rajen Barkakoti, social worker Mukut Bhuyan, Renaissance Junior College principal Parthajit Barooah, ATEU vice president Partha Pratim Hazarika, former Nowgong Girls� College professor Dr Roselin Jahan were present on the occasion.
Biren Mirdha of the Adibashi Jatiya Mahasangha, Kafil Ahmed of the Garia Maria Jatiya Parisad, Kamruz Zaman of the Minority Marcha, Khagen Gayan of KMSS, Manu Shingha Raja of AJYCP, Ranjan Bora of Yuba Parishad, Mukul Bora of Krishak Sharamik Unnayan Parisad, Dhananjoy Talukdar of Asamiya Sahitya Sanmilani, and Nandaram Bordoloi of AAJU, among others, also graced the occasion.
