GUWAHATI, July 8 - Disillusioned with the judiciary for the �inordinate� delay in holding the hearings on four of its PILs in the Supreme Court for three-and-a-half-years, the Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha today alleged that the indigenous people of the State have not been getting justice related to their rights.
Addressing the media here today, Mahasangha working president Matiur Rahman said people had every reason to doubt that a strong political lobby is influencing the judiciary against the indigenous people of Assam.
�We had made several appeals to Chief Justice of India Dipak Mishra to expedite the process of forming the Constitutional bench to hear the pending issues. Passing out an order on an Intervention Application on February 5 this year, the Chief Justice even gave directives to form the Constitutional Bench within March and expedite the PILs� hearing,� Rahman said.
�However, despite our several appeals, and even the protest demonstrations, the Bench is yet to be formed, which would decide on the crucial issues pertaining to the legality of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act and the base year of NRC update in Assam, and other matters related to the indigenous people,� he added.
The Mahasangha alleged that though it is taking up the matter both inside the court as well as outside, strong political interventions are coming in the way of justice.
�Indian judiciary is in crisis and it is sending a wrong message to the outside world. The Government of India has the responsibility to protect the sovereignty of Assam and the identity of its indigenous people. If the government fails in its job, we will approach the United Nations for our rights,� Rahman further mentioned.
The organisation further alleged that the ongoing NRC update work, without a final verdict on the base year, is sure to reduce the indigenous people to a minority in their own land and if it happens, the Supreme Court too, along with the Union and State governments, would be responsible for the damages caused to the indigenous communities.
