GUWAHATI, Jan 31 - Demanding a specific legislation for reserving the land and government jobs for the indigenous people of the State on the basis of 1951 NRC, the Prabrajan Virodhi Manch (PVM) today said the present State government must come up with a preventive legislation on this ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
Stressing that the interest of the indigenous Assamese people can only be protected if the control over land and resources of the State lies with the indigenous people, the PVM, a body fighting against illegal migration, said that making Assam�s land and resources off-limits to the illegal migrants would discourage them from settling in Assam, as is being done in Nagaland and some other north-eastern states.
�A protective legislation is in the hands of the State government. Even Governor of Assam Professor Jagdish Mukhi in his Republic Day address said that people of Assam, and not the foreigners, have the first right over resources. Our State leaders, however, are blissfully oblivious to this need of the hour,� Upamanyu Hazarika, convener of the Manch, said while addressing the media here.
Taking a jibe at Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and other BJP leaders for reacting weirdly to the black-flag protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, the PVM leaders sported black dresses during their protest action and media interaction.
�At a time when our legislators should be worried about the threat to identity of the indigenous people, they are more concerned about the black flags. The State machinery has many other significant tasks to perform rather than stopping people, even children, from attending public events wearing black,� Hazarika added.
The PVM led a Statewide publicity campaign to set a result-oriented poll agenda for the next general elections so that the government promises do not remain just poll planks.
The Manch members also said that a preventive legislation, re-verification of the NRC and opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Bill are the demands that have got people�s support Statewide.
�While State Cabinet Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma speaks of reservation in employment and Assembly seats, he also says that the elected legislators work as per the wishes of majority of voters in their constituencies. Now, if we have a majority of illegal Bangladeshis in our constituencies as voters, even the indigenous MLA elected by them in the Legislative Assembly would fail to protect the interest of the indigenous people,� Hazarika added.
PVM teams also carried out an awareness campaign in Guwahati today.
