Indira had not proposed 1961 as cut-off date: Mahanta

Asom Andolan Sangrami Mancha to rope in indigenous organizations and regiol parties against Centre’s move to regularize refugees

By our staff reporter

GUWAHATI, Oct 7: Chief adviser of the Asom Andolan Sangrami Mancha and former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta today rubbished allegations that the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had offered 1961 as the cut-off year for illegal immigrants. He described the allegations as "rumours by some elements who have always been working against the interest of Assam".

"The truth is we never received any such proposal from her end," Mahanta said.

"We all are aware that some people conspired against the Assam Agitation at that time, and even now they are trying to do so for vested political interests," he added.

Stating that when this controversy was at its peak during the Assam Agitation, the then AASU leadership had even confronted Indira Gandhi, Mahanta said, "We asked Indira Gandhi once, if she had offered something like that. She was in Guwahati at that time and she remained silent."

"At that time some people had also said that then Governor of Assam LP Singh, proposed 1961 as the cut-off year. But we never received any such offer from his end too," Mahanta added, refuting the allegations.

When asked for his reaction to Governor PB Acharya's recent comment that the Assam Accord is not a "sacred book" which the people must abide by, Mahanta said, "The Assam Accord comes under the ambit of the Indian Constitution, which is deemed a sacred book. The accord was placed in Parliament."

Reiterating the resolution of the Asom Andolan Sangrami Mancha, Mahanta said, "Yesterday's convention was a grand success. Everyone present there opposed the recent notification of the Union government in one voice and resolved to fight unitedly against it tooth and il."

He also said that another convention will be organized soon in Guwahati, involving indigenous organizations as well as Assamese tiolist organizations and regiol parties. The organizations will be consulted for the future course of action.

Proposing Inner Line Permit system for Assam, Mahanta said, "It is the need of the hour in order to save the indigenous people from turning into minorities in their own land."

Training his guns at the BJP, the former Chief Minister said, "BJP has got 7 MPs in Parliament now, but we haven't heard them raising their voices there yet. The three Congress MPs too are silent when it comes to Assam. AGP had only two MPs, but they were always vocal in Parliament when it came to raising issues concerning Assam."