A united-fight resolve to rescue sons of the soil

CITIZENSHIP BILL

GUWAHATI, May 27: Intellectuals, litterateurs, social leaders and others in Assam have voiced in chorus their steely resolve for a united fight against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, without losing cool at provocative statements being made by some vested interests in the State.

In one of the resolutions taken at the national convention organized by the Axam Xahitya Xabha (AXX) at District Library here on Sunday, the speakers resolved to foil the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill at any cost. The convention feels that the two ordinances brought out by the government on the Bill in 2015 and 2016 are clearly against the Constitution of India. The convention has decided to follow a legal course at the Gauhati High Court and the Supreme Court to foil the design.

The convention thanked the AXX for its endeavour to bring all organizations, intellectuals, litterateurs and others of the State to arrive at a common agenda against the Bill. This is a historic step that should be followed in future as and when the State faces any crisis, the convention feels. The convention has appealed to the AXX to take steps to make the crisis known among intellectuals, litterateurs and others at the national level through a national conference. The convention has also decided to hold such a convention to take all ethnic literary organizations of the State into confidence against the Bill.

This apart, the convention has also appealed to people’s representatives to take the side of the indigenous people of the State on NRC update so as to ensure a foreigner-free NRC. “There can’t be any compromise on an NRC free from foreigners,” the convention said, and appealed to the government to provide security to the officials engaged in NRC update work.

In another resolution, the convention appealed to the government to rescue the people of the State from the uncertainty they have been in by implementing each and every clause of the Assam Accord within a specific timeframe. It also appealed to the government to ensure security to the legislative, constitutional, administrative and land rights along with the preservation and expansion of cultural, social and linguistic identity of the indigenous people of Assam through a constitutional safeguard to them in accordance with the Assam Accord. It also appealed to the government to seal the India-Bangladesh border in the Assam sector and to sign an extradition treaty with Bangladesh for deportation of people who entered Assam from Bangladesh after March 25, 1971.

Speaking at the convention, noted intellectual Udayaditya Bharali said: “It’s time history was scripted. The only goal of ours should be to foil the anti-Assam Bill.”

Dr Hiren Gohain said: “I appeal to all not to lose cool at provocative statements being made by vested interests. We need to be alert against all conspiracies. We reaffirm not to be misled by the government’s tempting ‘ism’ of Hindutva.”

AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said: “The governments in Delhi and Dispur will have to face extreme consequences if they accord Indian citizenship to Bangladeshi Hindus.”

AASU adviser in chief Samujjal Bhattacharjya also spoke at the convention.

The Sadou Axam Karmachari Parishad (SAKP), Bodo Women’s Justice Forum, Karbi Chatra Santha, Hindusthani Sanmilan, Moran Chatra Santha, Cha Janogosthi Sahitya Sabha, Dimasa Chatra Santha, Bodo Literary Forum, Tiwa Chatra Santha, Gorkha Chatra Santha and many other organizations took part at the convention.