NRC politics makes Congress leadership 'a sty piece of work' for indigenous sahitya sabhas, others

Indigenous sahitya sabhas say
(1)    Assam government is playing a sty politics in the issue of NRC update.
(2)    NRC will serve no purpose if the design hatched by the Assam Government materializes.
(3)    NRC update work should be completed within the time stipulated by the SC.
(4)    A 16-member team to meet PM, HM and President.
(5)    Won't any Bangladeshis, who entered Assam after March 25, 1971, to be included in NRC.
(6)    AXX is conspicuous by its silence on sty NRC politics by Dispur. AXX should make its stand clear on NRC.

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, July 1: For its politics on the issue of NRC update the Congress leadership in Assam is no less than a sty piece of work for the indigenous tribal sahitya sabhas of Assam and many others.

Addressing the press here today, leaders of the Indigenous Tribal Sahitya Sabha, Assam (ITSSA) termed the Assam Government's politics on NRC update as 'sty'.  "With its sty politics on the issue of NRC update, the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress Government in the State is out to shatter the directive issued by the Supreme Court of India on the issue. The NRC will serve no purpose if the design that has been adopted by the Congress in Assam is allowed to be effective. This is nothing but giving 'Indian' status to foreigners staying illegally in Assam," they said.

The ITSSA includes the Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS), Karbi Sahitya Sabha (KSS), Dimasa Sahitya Sabha (DSS), Mising Sahitya Sabha (MSS), Tiwa Sahitya Sabha (TSS), Rabha Sahitya Sabha and Deori Sahitya Sabha (DSS). The leaders of all these sahitya sabhas were present at the press conference. BSS general secretary Kamala Kanta Mushahary said: "We'll send a 16-member team to meet the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister and the President of India on the issue between July 13 and 17 and submit a memorandum to each of them. Clause 6 of the Assam Accord should be implemented in the State so as to safeguard the constitutiol rights of all 'indigenous tribals' and 'indigenous Assamese' of the State. Our demand is as simple as this."

Mushahary said: "The Centre has to complete NRC update work within the time stipulated by the Supreme Court of India. The Congress government at Dispur is playing a sty politics to include all Bangladeshis, who entered Assam after March 25, 1971, in the NRC. This move should not be allowed to materialize. We won't allow any Bangladeshis, regardless of his/her faith, who entered Assam after March 25, 1971 to be included in the NRC nor in the voter list. Only the NRC can protect the constitutiol rights of indigenous people of the State."

Mushahary further said: "Strangely enough, the Axam Xahitya Xabha (AXX) is conspicuous by its silence on the sty politics being played by Dispur on the NRC issue. We appeal to the AXX to make its stand clear on the NRC issue."

"Now they say that Clause 10 of the Assam Accord has to be implemented. To make that happen, Clause 10 of the Assam Revenue Act, 1947 has to be included in Clause 9, 31(B) of the Constitution of India. According to the Forest Rights Act, 2006 of the Government of India, all tribals living on forest  lands should be given land rights," Mushahary said, and added: "Both the Centre and Dispur should make their stand on the issue of ST status to six ethnic communities of Assam. We're not against ST status to the six ethnic groups if the move doesn't cast a shadow on the interest of the existing STs in the State."

On the stand taken by the Assam Tribal Sangha (ATS), Mushahary said: "We have no objection if the ATS goes ahead taking all STs in the State along."

With Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi making his mind clear that he would appeal to the Centre to treat the voter list of 2014 as an additiol document along with the 12 documents sought for inclusion in the NRC, former minister Dr. Ardhendu Dey went the extra mile yesterday and said that 'the process of NRC update work should be halted in the State till the voter list of 2014 is taken as the base document for the purpose'.

Dr. Dey said: "On June 28 the Mancha had a congregation on NRC update at Hojai. Around 600 delegates gathered from different parts of the State at the congregation resolved to treat the electoral rolls of 2014 as the base document for NRC update, and stop the NRC process till 2014 rolls is taken as the base paper."

In order to buttress what he wants to bring home, Dr. Dey said: "May people belonging to tea tribes in the State have documents that have been sought for the inclusion of mes in the NRC. The documents issued to them by the tea estate magements should be enough for them to get their mes enrolled in the NRC. The tribal who have no documents should get direct entry into the NRC. Likewise, all Hindu Bengalis who came to Assam from Bangladesh after 1971 should be enrolled in the NRC."

When asked as to why he did not raise the demand for 2014 electoral rolls as NRC base document when he was a member of the Cabinet subcommittee for NRC update, Dr. Dey was on record saying "that was a mistake."

According to Dr. Dey, the Barak Valley Human Rights Society (BVHRS) has moved the Supreme Court seeking the electoral rolls of 2014 to be used as the base document for NRC update.

The Mancha called another rally on July 19 at Hojai where the Chief Minister, Union minister Sarbanda Sonowal, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Anjan Dutta, State BJP president Siddhartha Bhattacharyya, AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal and others would be called.

Dr. Dey alleged that the facilities which government advertisements promise for NRC update are not available on the ground.