GUWAHATI, June 1 � The people of Assam voted for a change of Government in Delhi and it is time for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to translate his poll promises into reality within a specific time-frame, demanded the All Assam Students� Union (AASU).
Talking to The Assam Tribune, AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya demanded that the Assam Accord should be implemented within a specific time-frame and the Prime Minister�s Office and the Home Ministry should directly monitor the process of updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC). He said that a special constitutional status should be given to Assam with right over land and natural resources. Constitutional protection to the indigenous people of Assam and reservation of seats in the Assembly, Parliament and local bodies under provisions of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord should be given immediately.
Bhattacharya demanded that the international border with Bangladesh should be sealed on a war-footing to prevent further infiltration of Bangladeshis and a second line of defence with indigenous youths should be created immediately. At all the election rallies, Narendra Modi promised to take immediate steps to detect and deport Bangladeshi nationals and after assuming office of the Prime Minister, he should give priority to the issue. All the foreigners who came to Assam on or after March 25, 1971 should be expelled along with members of the fundamentalist forces who managed to establish roots in the State, he added.
The AASU demanded that the Government should declare floods and erosion as national problems and effective steps should be taken to deal with those, which crippled the rural economy of the State. There should be a time-bound action plan for dealing with the problems and immediate steps must be taken to protect Majuli river island, the student body demanded.
