Chief Minister Gogoi playing commul card: Pradip Dutta Roy

Special Correspondent

SILCHAR, Oct 13: Pradip Dutta Roy, founder president of All Cachar-Karimganj-Hailakandi Students’ Association (ACKHSA), who recently joined BJP switching over from Congress, slammed Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for playing political game on the sensitive and emotive issues of Barak Valley. Continuing his tirade, he said his sole objective is to cause Hindu-Muslim divide and stoke the flame of commulism, keeping in mind the forthcoming Assembly elections. It was most unfortute that the Chief Minister should be making provocative statements from Dispur by blaming BJP and RSS repeatedly.

Along with him, his two ministers, Gautom Roy and Siddique Ahmed, were playing second fiddle to him and trying to fish in trouble-water. In this divisive politics, the district administration and the police are being used in order to throttle any democratic and peaceful public movement against the mis-governce. Following certain unfortute incidents in Barak Valley and the legitimate voice of protest by BJP leaders and workers, the police became active to arrest Silchar MLA Dilip Kumar Paul and 4 others, and the leaders and supporters of Mahila Morcha were mercilessly beaten up for protesting against their detention.

Pradip Dutta Roy described these actions of the police led by Rajveer Singh, IPS, Superintendent of Police of Cachar, against all democratic principles. The SP himself admitted before the media and agitating BJP workers that he had been under constant pressure of the Chief Minister. It was, according to student leader, a glaring example of the omen of what to follow on the eve and during elections. He held out a note of caution unless this kind of attitude of the ruling party did not change, there would be no end to commul tension and conflict and for this the Chief Minister would have to bear all responsibility.

The vote-bank politics of Tarun Gogoi was more than exposed when he held a closed door meeting with AIUDF supremo Badruddin Ajmal at Dispur. It only shows Chief Minister’s appeasement policy towards the minorities. He no more sees the prospect of garnering Bengali Hindu votes who are now being weaned away by BJP for playing straight game of protecting them by impressing upon the NDA Government to issue Notification on September 7. Congress, on the other hand, continues to blow hot and cold over the issue of shelter and citizenship to the victims of religious persecution in Bangladesh.

The interests of the state and of people have been thrown to the forewind. Six months are to go for the Assembly elections. Under him, as Dutta Roy said, elections could not be expected to be free and fair. The Centre should force him to resign and impose President’s Rule. The Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues as well as parliamentary secretaries were totally indifferent to the problems of Barak Valley under which the people were reeling. The roads and highways were in deplorable conditions. The fragile connectivity of this valley with the other parts of the country was under severe stress. It is shameful that social and cultural organizations have to hit the streets for connectivity and BG. In this political game, he also hit out at some other political leaders without ming them. Despite all the provocations, BJP MLA and other leaders exercised restraint.

While the Chief Minister and his ministers and parliamentary secretaries were busy in their game of politics, the real issues were being ignored which would spell troubles in future. Moigarh incident in which the driver of the tripper was thrown into fire following the death of a middle aged tea worker had no commul colour or overtone. It was the handiwork of Maoists, he affirmed, who were rapidly spreading their tentacles in all the 112 tea estates of the valley.

In fact, as Pradip Dutta Roy stated, Maoists were behind Moigarh incident. It was just the expression of pent up anger and frustration of the tea workers who were being exploited and deprived of their basic necessities of life for decades. They have no electricity, drinking water, health structure or education facility. Even their hard earned bonus is not paid. Unions collected subscriptions regularly from them, but never fight for their justice. Maoists, he said, are taking advantage of their adversities.

The ACKHSA president reiterated Assam University campus is fast turning into a hot-bed of the red extremists. No political party was trying to understand the problems of the tea garden workers. Without going into the root of the problem, political parties and leaders are busy with their political calculations and permutations. There was no serious attempt to find out why the tea garden workers, known for their hard work, innocence and protective of their culture and identity, are turning hostile and revengeful and falling into the sre of Maoists.

He warned political leaders will be the next target. He scoffed at the streams of political leaders visiting the house of Badal Saotal, killed in a road mishap, and paying money with consolation words to the bereaved family members. No attempt to solve the problems of tea gardens and tea workers, he exclaimed. He was confident the coming elections of 2016 will show the result of such insensitiveness and indifference by the political parties.