GUWAHATI, July 17 � The State unit of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) today made an appeal to the Union Government to keep the spirit of the Assam Accord intact while offering humane treatment to those Indian citizens, who fled their native places in the face of religious persecution following the partition of the country.
In reaction to yesterday�s decision of the State Cabinet on providing asylum to those citizens who fled their native places in the face of religious persecution and other discrimination following partition of the country, the CPI-M unit stated that the desertion of their native places by these people in the face of religious persecution and other discrimination in the aftermath of partition, is a fact. The Government of India should adopt a policy to provide asylum to these people. But while doing so, the Government of India should not be oblivious of the fact that to solve the issue of influx of the people from East Bengal, the Assam Accord was signed. There is a strong public opinion for expeditious implementation of the Assam Accord.
Meanwhile, basing on a wider consensus, work on updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) has also been started. Based on the provisions of the Assam Accord, those East Bengal migrants, who entered Assam prior to March 25, 1971, have been accepted by the State as its inhabitants. Assam has been made to bear a heavy load of migrants following the partition of the country. The influx of these people has an impact on the demographic pattern of the State, said the CPI-M State unit.
Meanwhile, members of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) today staged a demonstration in front of the State Secretariat here opposing the decision of the State Cabinet on the issue.
In a statement here this evening, it has demanded publication of the text of the above decision of the State Cabinet and its immediate scrapping. It has also demanded speedy updating of the NRC to identify the foreign nationals living in the State and then to deport them.
