Uble to provide textbooks on time, Dispur shouldn’t talk of development'

AASU leaders say

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Feb 12: The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) today burnt the effigies of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Education Minister Sarat Barkataky in all district and subdivisiol headquarters for their failure to provide textbooks for the students of Class IX and X.

AASU president Dipangko Kumar th and general secretary Lurin Jyoti Gogoi said: “The students have to bear the brunt for the callousness of the government. Textbooks are fundamental rights of students. This is highly shameful for a government not being able to provide students their textbooks even after around one month and a half of the start of the academic session in the State. The English textbook of Class IX has not been provided to the students as yet. Only 30 per cent of Class X students have got textbooks for Science, Mathematics, Assamese, English and Social Studies. If the Government can’t provide students textbooks soon, we’ll resort to take vigorous agitation in the State. A government that cannot provide textbooks to students on time shouldn’t talk of development.”     

In Guwahati, the members of the All Guwahati Students’ Union (AGSU) also burnt the effigies of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Education Minister Sarat Barkataky in the city near Judges’ Filed in protest against the failure on their part to make the textbooks of Class IX and X available as yet. The current academic session got underway from January 1.

The students shouted slogans like ‘Chief Minister hai hai, he does a Dhritorastro, Education Minister is inefficient, Education Department hai hai’ and rent the air in the city.

Talking to newsmen, AGSU general Raifuddin Ahmed said: “Isn’t the situation like non-availability of textbooks is in quite contrast to the Congress’ slogans ‘Pondhoro Boxoror Bishax, Pondhoro Boxoror Bikash’? This is unfortute that the students who are going to sit for the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examition next year don’t have textbooks now. This is an unpardoble crime on the  part of the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) and Dispur.”