Citizenship Amendment Act: Mixed responses to State Cabinet’s decisions

AASU flays moves but tribal bodies welcome

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The State Cabinet’s move to carry forward a slew of measures on a gamut of issues confronting Assam on Saturday has evoked mixed responses. While the AASU (All Assam Students Union) has flayed the Cabinet moves, the CCTOA (Coordination Committee of Tribal Organizations of Assam) has welcomed the decisions.

AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya told the media, “The government’s move is a means to silence the voice of the people against the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act). Whatever the moves the Cabinet announced yesterday were our age-old demands. There is nothing new in the Cabinet’s decisions. We have been successful in making our demands a reality. Nonetheless, our agitation will continue till the CAA is totally scrapped.”

AASU president and general secretary Dipanko Kumar Nath and Lurinjyoti Gogoi respectively stated in a joint statement, “The State Cabinet’s decisions have been long-pending demands of the masses. By acknowledging these demands, the government has accepted the fact that the CAA-2019 is posing serious threats to the language, land, culture, economy, and very identity of the people of Assam.”

The chief coordinator of CCTOA, Aditya Khakhlari, on the other hand commented, “We welcome the decisions taken by the Sarbananda Sonowal Cabinet to send a proposal to the Central government to make Assamese the State language by amending Article 345 of the Constitution. We also welcome the government’s decision to create three autonomous councils for the Morans, Mataks, and the Koch Rajbongshis. We further welcome the decision for granting a special package to preserve the historical monuments of the Moran, Matak, Tai-Ahom, and Chutia communities.”

The CCTOA leader added, “We, however, demand the creation of more autonomous councils for the indigenous tribal groups mainly the Boro-Kachari, Tangsa, Tai-Khamyang, and Tai-Phaike communities of Assam for preservation of their languages, cultural heritages, and overall socio-economic development.”

On the other hand, AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front) general secretary Aminul Islam said, “The Sonowal government has already failed in fulfilling the promises as given in its poll manifesto and budget speeches. Now, the government has given new assurances — all to silence the movement against CAA-2019.

Also Watch: AATASU staged protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act. 2019 in Golaghat