A CORRESPONDENT
NALBARI: The inability of the government to completely seal the 248-km India-Bangladesh border in Assam is a ‘serious failure’ and requires urgent corrective measures, said All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) Chief Adviser Dr Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharya at a public meeting in Tihu on Monday.
Dr Bhattacharya was addressing the open session of the 22nd conference of the All Nalbari District Students’ Union at Shaheed Himangshu Tamuli Khetra of Tihu High School. He was the chief speaker and unveiled the souvenir published on the occasion of the two-day conference.
“Just as the government undertakes special drives on various issues, a special campaign must also be launched to protect Assam,” Dr Bhattacharya said. He asserted that Assam should not be allowed to become like Tripura or Kashmir.
Emphasising economic self-reliance, he said that nationalism could not be sustained merely through emotional appeals. “Every Assamese must strive to become economically self-reliant,” he said, adding that economic empowerment was essential for preserving the identity and interests of the state.
Dr Bhattacharya also urged the government to fulfil the objectives for which Tihu’s martyr Himangshu Tamuli had sacrificed his life. He demanded that Tihu be declared the headquarters of a sub-district (sub-district administrative unit) as a mark of respect to the martyr. “We do not need assurances; we need implementation,” he said.
He further urged the government to take steps to upgrade Tihu College into an autonomous institution or a university. Raising concerns over the state of higher education in Assam, Dr Bhattacharya said that Delhi University has 84 departments, while Dibrugarh University has 28 and Gauhati University has only 30 departments.
AASU president Utpal Sarma, inaugurating the open session, stressed the importance of preserving the Assamese language. He said that knowledge of English was important but losing one’s mother tongue would have far more serious consequences. He also called for implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, describing it as a constitutional safeguard for the Assamese people.
AASU General Secretary Samiran Phukan participated as the designated speaker and spoke on issues concerning students and broader national and social concerns in Assam.
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