STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Senior advocate and convenor of Prabajan Virodhi Manch (PVM) Upamanyu Hazarika on Friday said that the success of the farmers agitation after Prime Minister's announcement of repeal of the farm laws is an instructive lesson for the people of Assam who've been agitating with failure at every step over the last 40 years. He said that the fortitude and determination of the farmers to protest, notwithstanding extreme heat, cold, police bullets and lathis forced a powerful Centre to accede to their demands. More than the farmers, it's the uncompromising stand of the leadership, who didn't succumb to any inducement or threat and were steadfast in their stand which kept the movement on track, Hazarika pointed out.
"Unfortunately in Assam we've been continuously agitating for 40 years, without any results and being worse off. Our struggle has only produced self serving leaders who show no hesitation in pursuing their interest before the cause and for which the people are continually betrayed.
AASU and their leaders while assuming and grabbing leadership do not take responsibility for their failure. They take no responsibility for failure of NRC, failure of anti CAA movement, failure for implementation of Clause 6 Committee recommendations for protection to indigenous people," said Hazarika.
The PVM convenor added, "The problem and the solutions are clear after 40 years. Reverification of a faulty NRC, reservation of land and resources for indigenous people to prevent them from becoming a minority and no further imposition of foreigners through CAA. All that is required is to stick to these issues, even then there's complete insincerity and fraudulent representations. Our present chief minister has on numerous occasions assured of bringing in legislation reserving land for indigenous and that too in the 'next Assembly session' two years ago but shows no compunctions in backtracking. Till such time that people do not force their leaders to act in the public interest or continue to elect such leaders who continually betray them, the survival of the indigenous people is always at risk."
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