Staff Reporter
Guwahati: On the demand to deport illegal Bangladeshis from the Northeast, the North East Students Organisation (NESO) held a series of demonstrations at all capital cities of the NE states. The organisation also submitted demand letters listing their demands for deportation of illegal Bangladeshis and other issues addressed to all chief ministers, the Union Home Minister and the Prime Minister.
As part of the protests, the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) organised a demonstration at Guwahati, the Naga Students' Federation in Kohima, the Khasi Students' Union in Shillong, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl in Aizawl, the All Manipur Students' Union in Imphal, and the Tripura Students' Federation in Agartala. However, the Arunachal Pradesh Student' Union postponed their protest due to the death of a former president of the organisation.
NESO chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharjya, AASU president Utpal Sarma, AASU general secretary Samiran Phukon and other leaders took part in the demonstration. AASU president Utpal Sarma said, "Assam is not the dustbin or grazing ground for illegal Bangladeshis. For the last 46 years, starting from the Assam Movement, the people of Assam have been fighting to keep intact the identity of the indigenous people. Due to non-implementation of the Assam Accord for the past 40 years, Assam is facing a grave danger. Assam's forest lands, xatra lands, grazing lands, etc., have been encroached upon, and this has caused a demographic change in the state."
AASU further stated that they wanted a permanent solution to this existential threat posed by the illegal Bangladeshis. So, the students' body demanded a time-bound implementation of every clause in the Assam Accord. The organisation demanded immediate sealing of the international border with Bangladesh and issuing of shoot-at-sight orders on any intruder. Along with this, they demanded that special operations should be started by the Government of India to root out the illegal Bangladeshis living in Assam.
AASU president Sarma further said that the Justice (retd.) Biplab Sharma Committee was formed on the implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. The constitutional safeguards for the people, as recommended by the committee, should be implemented as soon as possible, he asserted.
The Assam government has accepted the recommendations of the Justice (retd.) Biplab Sharma Committee and stated in the Assembly that it will implement all recommendations within its ambit and discuss with the Centre those recommendations that are not.
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