Ongoing agitation: Let us ponder

The present agitation on the CAB, now CAA, has reminded me of 1979-1985 Assam movement on foreigners issue launched by the AASU and the AAGSP. Emotionally surcharged Assamese people did everything for making the agitation successful. Eventually the Assam Accord was signed accepting the cut-off year as 1971 for detection of foreigners with consequential actions compromising the constitutionally recognized cut-off date 19th July, 1948, thereby thrusting upon the Assamese people, the burden of around 40 lakh illegal immigrants, mostly Muslims. Post-signing of such an Accord, the emotionally surcharged Assamese people elected the student leaders as there rulers. However, they did nothing for detection of foreigners and consequential actions. In their second term also, their such an approach to the burning issue continued and rather made the person who was instrumental in bringing IM(DT) Act, 1983, State’s Law Minister.

The role of the Congress and immigrant Muslims during the agitation and so also in the proceeding challenging the IM(DT) Act must not be forgotten. Both supported the IM(DT) Act. tooth and nail. Now those immigrant Muslims are integral part of AIUDF. The role of the Congress, both pre-and-post independence eras must also not be forgotten by the Assamese people. It is because of their unabated encouragement, unabated influx of Muslims from the then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, continued making at present thirteen districts immigrant Muslims-dominated as against only two in 1971.

Now, the present student leaders and some leading citizens who include members of the artiste fraternity have already started talking about formation of a new political party. Is this the main agenda of the present agitation? If that becomes a reality, what is in store for us must be realized. The student organizations leading the movement do not have any internal democracy. That is the reason why the same leaders are occupying their positions for years together, even at the age of late fifty’s.

Last but not the least, the Assamese people must not be guided by emotions without realizing the reality. Once the CAA is under legal scrutiny of the Supreme Court with the issuance of notice, is it justified to continue with the ongoing agitation launched by the very organizations which are petitioners before the Supreme Court, and that too at the cost of academic atmosphere, work culture and peaceful atmosphere? Let this not be another fallacious Assam movement. Had that not been there with resultant Assam Accord, the cut-off year for Assam also would have remained 1948 or 1950 with the adoption of the Constitution instead of 1971 making lakhs of immigrants, mostly Muslims, Indian citizens.

Bikalpa Kashyap,

Panbazar, Guwahati.