By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Aug 7: The All India Home Guard Welfare Association has threatened to abstain from the Independence Day parade and stage a 10-hour demonstration at Dispur Last Gate on the occasion, for lack of response from the government on fulfilment of their various demands.

Speaking to mediapersons, Dipen Sharma, president of the Association said despite several appeals made to the Assam Government, it has failed to give them any assurance on fulfilling their demands. He said, even after staging a dharna at Dispur Last Gate on July 16 and submitting a memorandum to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, the Government has not shown due importance to their demands. He said, “Since the government is unwilling to consider our demands, we will abstain from duties on Independence day as a mark of protest.”

Some of the demands of the Home Guards Welfare Association include, amendment of the Assam Home Guards Act, 1947 and facilities equivalent to police constables for its jawans, proper facilities to women homeguards as those enjoyed by women police constables, compensation of 5 lakhs to the families of the homeguards who passed away while on duty and a permanent job to one family member of the deceased and recruitment of trained homeguards for Grade III and Grade IV government jobs.

Sharma further appealed to all homegurads not to follow the recent government directive of deputation of 1,200 homeguards to violence-hit BTAD area of Kokrajhar, Chirang and Udalguri district. He appealed to all homeguards not to follow the government directive as a mark of protest against the non-fulfilment of their demands.