United struggle needed to secure rights of indigenous communities: Samujjal

From our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR, Feb 13: The historic golden jubilee celebration and 49th session of the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) entered the second day on Monday at Jangkrithai Fwthar, Kokrajhar amidst a huge rush of people. The students’ conclave and semirs on various topics were the prime programmes of the day.

In his deliberation before the august gathering, the chief advisor of the AASU, Samujjal Bhattacharjya said the ABSU had been working tirelessly for reformation of the community and to establish a strong race in the world and as such, the Bodo student body should play leading role for the issues of indigenous communities of Assam. “I appeal to the ABSU to work for the cause of all indigenous people of Assam along with their issues from the front,” he said, adding that there was need for a united struggle to secure the rights of indigenous communities of the State as this soil belonged to the indigenous people.

Bhattacharjya said Assam had been facing interl predicaments due to exterl aggression of Bangladeshis. He said the indigenous people of Assam were going to be margilized and they would be treated as second citizens in their own land due to Bangladeshi influx if the issue was not dealt with united efforts. “We cannot be silent spectator over the ubated exterl aggression,” he said adding that the Government of India was going ahead with their decision to give citizenship rights to Hindu Bangladeshis which would not be acceptable at any cost. He said the ABSU had come a long way with the history of revolution and struggle for the rights and privileges of the community and this year the students’ body celebrated its golden jubilee.

The AASU advisor said the session of the ABSU had always been the most disciplined and every organization had to learn the art of discipline from them. He said that it was the ABSU which organized 32 different semirs in eight different halls in the ongoing golden jubilee celebration and no student organization had organized such a large number of semirs. He hailed the role of the ABSU for improving Bodo medium education and blamed the State Government for its failure to distribute Bodo medium textbooks on time. He also said the higher education institutions, including technical institutions, should have all required facilities for the students.

The AASU advisor felicitated the president of the ABSU, Promod Boro with xarai and books on the occasion of the golden jubilee as a token of love and respect for the 50-year journey of the ABSU.

The student conclave was chaired by the Vice-Chancellor of Bodoland University, Prof. Hemanta Kr. Baruah and president of AKRSU, Hiteswar Barman, president of AAGSU, Prem Tamang, and president of AASSU, Simon Kishku addressed the conclave, which was attended by the Principals of various colleges and technical institutions.

In the evening, former vice-president of the ABSU, Soram Baglary iugurated the candlelight march in commemoration of great Bodo martyrs. Besides, there were 16 semirs in eight halls on various topics. There were also competitions of volleyball, kabaddi and demonstration on Bodo traditiol games like Khomlaii, Gila and Dahal Thungri Sibi.