JORHAT, April 20 - The Jorhat district branch of Asom Sattra Mahasabha (ASM) has severely condemned the action of three persons, including present general secretary Kusum Kumar Mahanta, reportedly appearing before the Joint Parliamentary Committee in New Delhi earlier this week on behalf of the organisation and submitting a representation to the JPC in favour of the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 that proposes to grant citizenship to illegal Hindu migrants in Assam.
An emergent meeting held under the chairmanship of Rohit Mahanta, president of Jorhat district branch of ASM at the headquarters of ASM at Rajabari here today, which was attended by several present and past office-bearers of the Jorhat district unit of ASM as well as well-wishers of the organisation, seven resolutions were adopted on the issue of three persons submitting a document on ASM�s behalf to the JPC by favouring the Bill.
The other two members of the team that appeared before the JPC reportedly were Akhil Mahanta, vice-president of South Kamrup Zone and Janardhan Devagoswami, Satradhikar of Uttar Kamalabari Satra, Majuli.
Addressing mediapersons, former general secretary of ASM and presently member of the steering committee of ASM, Bhaba Goswami, said the meeting took a serious view of the act of Kusum Kumar Mahanta and two others �unauthorisedly, without taking consent and approval of the Mahasabha� and submitting a representation in favour of the controversial Bill.
It may be pertinent to add here that Jorhat district branch of ASM has 80 sattras under its fold.
Goswami said that the meeting �strongly condemned � the action of the three persons and stated that the representation given to the JPC was the �personal opinion of Mahanta and two others� and in no way represented ASM�s stand.
Goswami, also a senior advocate, said another resolution adopted has urged the central committee of Asom Sattra Mahasabha to initiate disciplinary action against Kusum Kumar Mahanta as per the provisions of the constitution of the organisation.
The next resolution stated that Janardhan Devagoswami, Satradhikar of Uttar Kamalabari Satra, Majuli, is not an office-bearer of ASM and is not authorised by ASM to represent it as a spokesperson of the organisation.
�In view of his (Janardhan Devagoswami�s) involvement in the act of favouring the Bill in the name of ASM is severely condemned and the meeting cautions him and suggests the central committee to take legal action against Devagoswami,� the resolution stated.
Informing about the next resolution, Goswami said that the meeting called for expulsion of Kusum Kumar Mahanta from the organisation by the central committee for his action.
Convening a public meeting to discuss threadbare the issue at the ASM headquarter here at the earliest by the central committee of ASM was another resolution adopted.
Convening of the steering committee and executive committee meetings of the organisation within the next three days and to undertake a non-compromising stand on the issue of settlement of illegal Hindu Bangladeshi migrants in Assam by taking into consideration the interest of the Assamese community was the sixth resolution adopted. The resolution also called for submitting the view on the matter to the JPC and stated that the Jorhat district branch opposed settling of Hindu Bangladeshi migrants in Assam.
The last resolution urged the central committee of the ASM for withdrawal and cancellation of the representation submitted by Kusum Kumar Mahanta and two others to the JPC.
Goswami said that tomorrow the steering committee of ASM has been convened at Guwahati at 1 pm, which he will be attending.
Former presidents of Jorhat district branch of ASM, namely Prabhat Chandra Mahanta and Muruli Mahanta respectively, Bhabananda Goswami, present vice-president of ASM central committee, Paramananda Goswami, member of Jorhat district branch, Horen Chandra Das, vice-president of Jorhat district branch, Munu Baruah, general secretary of Jorhat district branch, Pankaj Saikia, Pub Mandal representative of ASM, Sudipta Nayan Goswami and Mridul Mahanta, members of Jorhat branch, were among those who attended the meeting.
