Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Feb 20: Expressing grave concern over the kidnapping and prolonged confinement of the two Quippo employees, the All Assam Engineers’ Association today appealed to ULFA (I) C-in-C Paresh Barua to release the duo immediately without causing any harm.
The association also urged Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take appropriate steps for securing the immediate and safe release of the duo.
“Everybody knows about the relentless service and sacrifices made by engineers and scientists in diverse spheres, boosting development in the whole world, including our country. But even after extending tireless and committed services for the cause of development and nation-building, the engineers in return are always facing negligence from the government and the companies concerned,” association president Kailash Sarma and general secretary Inamul Hye said in a statement.
The Guwahati Senior Citizens’ Association (GSCA) also strongly condemned the abduction of the two Quippo executives and demanded their immediate release.
“The abducted officials have been under forcible confinement for nearly two months now and the dastardly act of the ULFA (I) has humiliated the whole Assamese community,” association president DN Chakravartty said.
The association, in its meeting held today under the presidentship of Dr Pratap Sarma, working president, expressed the view that good sense should prevail and the banned organisation should release the duo immediately.
Baneswar Khound, general secretary, in his report, said the association could not hold its meeting for the past one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hem Chandra Sarma, Krishna Kanta Lahkar and Dharma Ranjan Bhagawati presented their sectoral reports on health, social welfare and finance.
Meanwhile, eminent critic and intellectual Dr Hiren Gohain today made an appeal to the ULFA (I) C-in-C Paresh Barua to immediately release the two abducted executives of Quippo oil firm.
Dr Gohain told the media that the abduction of the two innocent officials and the threat to kill them unless the random was paid was a “dastardly and inhuman act” which cannot be acceptable to any right-thinking people and civilised society.
“I urge the ULFA (I), the C-in-C in particular, to release the two officials at the earliest. The duo cannot be held responsible for any act of omission and commission by their employers. Any harm caused to them will bring disrepute to the State and its people. They should be released immediately and safely,” Dr Gohain said.
He added that any harm caused to the duo would also bring mass condemnation and hatred for the ULFA. “The ULFA (I) should raise its demands before the Government and must not resort to criminal acts like kidnapping for ransom,” he added.
