Dispur seeks report on martyrs’ families from DCs

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, June 30: Assam government has written to all deputy commissioners seeking a report on the status of the families of martyrs and those left injured during the six-year Assam Agitation.

Altogether 855 people were killed during the historic agitation and 404 others were injured, some of whom have been permanently maimed.

Though the Assam Accord assured government jobs to the kin of martyrs and the maimed, so far only 519 have been given appointments. Altogether 890 families are yet to get any government job, and the condition of some families are currently pathetic.

The State government had given a compensation of Rs 30,000 to the kin of martyrs at that time.

The Sodou Asom Jatiya Swahid Samanyrakhi Parishad had met Home Minister Rajth Singh before the recently-concluded assembly elections and submitted a representation seeking Rs 5 lakh compensation to the kin of martyrs, Rs 2 lakh to the injured, jobs for the families deprived so far and Kargil martyr status to the victims.

On June 16, the members of the Parishad had also met Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal and highlighted the condition of the martyr families.

“It is really strange. Compared to agitations elsewhere in the country, the Assam Agitation was unique, the scale was massive and demands were genuine. But unfortutely, today, there is no one to look after some families of the martyrs. The Central government has not given anything so far. We hope the new Chief Minister, who is sensitive to the issue, will address it,” said president of the Parishad Hemanta Kumar th.

Parishad’s advisor Birinchi Sharma said the demands of the families are long-pending.

“The government had sought reports from the DCs in the past, but the response from the administrations were not forthcoming, neither was there any follow-up from Dispur. We hope this time around, there would be some good news,” he said.