Noted academician and intellectual Dr Hiren Gohain on Sunday said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 would ‘hammer the last nail in the coffin’ of Assamese community if it is passed by the Parliament.
Dr Gohain said this at the pubic meet organized by the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samittee (KMSS) and other organizations on Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 at Sudmerson Hall of Cotton College in Guwahati on Sunday.
“The Centre has always pressurized Assam for their vested interests. The present Sarbananda Sonowal Government is whole-heartedly engaged in deteriorating the law and order scenario in the state of Assam. The Narendra Modi government in the Centre is a capitalist government and handed over the nation to people like Anil Ambani. The Centre does not bother for the development of Assam and the communities of the State,” Dr Gohain said.
He also said that the State’s future in the present government’s rule is in threat.
While adding that the movement against the citizenship bill must go on at any cost, he said that the ‘non-Assamese people who are living in the land have not raised their voice against the bill which is a matter of serious concern’.
Addressing the meet Dr Dinesh Baisya, principal of B Borooah College was of the opinion that the Bill would completely strike out the basic principle of secularism of the Indian Constitution.
Dr Baishya firmly asserted that no Hindu Bangladeshis are tortured in Bangladesh.
He also alleged that the Centre’s move to bring in the Hindu Bangladehis is a conspiracy to create a vote bank for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“The whole episode of the bill till now and the consequences are politically motivated,” he added.
He also expressed surprise that the regional party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) is still in government which ‘is a drama’.
“If they oppose the bill they should break the coalition. The fight is not on language basis. It is against the government,” he added.
Dr Apurba Baruah who also spoke at the public meet had appealed to the organizations to mobilize other organizations of the north-eastern states to further strengthen the movement.
“There must be well co-ordination among the organizations representing the various ethnic groups of the Northeast,” he said.
Dr Baruah also advised one and all not to resort to violence in the cause.
Noted academician Dr Uadyaditya Bharali said, “We won’t move for a single inch from the date fixed by Assam Accord. This should be remembered by the government. We are against communalism and ultra-nationalism and this is the basic principle of the movement.”
Echoing in the same vein, noted lawyer and social activist, Nekibur Zaman called to scrap the ‘vexatious bill’ against which many have raised their voice.
Zaman also alleged that that the present BJP-led government has started ‘secret killing’ again in the State.
The State Government is responsible for the Kherbari killing incident, he said.
“Many BJP and RSS activists are now trying divert the attention and goal of us and therefore they are already started to execute their plan. Some anti-social and anti-Assamese people have already entered the State to hamper the movement,” he said.
Zaman also appealed to the AGP leaders including Chandramohan Patowary not to compromise with the interest of the Assamese community and the land.
“Several vicious circles have involved in conspiracy to break the unity of the communities in Assam,” he added.
Noted intellectual Lakhminath Tamuli speaking at the public meet appealed to the people to refrain from attending meetings of political parties until the bill is scrapped.
He also appealed the people to refrain from government programs until the bill is scrapped.
He also questioned as to why the All Assam Students Union (AASU) has not christened Sarbananda Sonowal as ‘khalanayak’ (villain) for not taking action for the interest of the indigenous people.
He also asked, “Why did AASU not provide support to the call for bandh on October 23 last?” adding that ‘AASU has made many mistakes and for that AASU remains silent most of the times’.
Tamuli further made a startling comment saying that Narendra Modi would even go to the extent of scrapping the Indian Constitution and constitute a new constitution if he gets elected again in the next Lok Sabha election.
Speaking on the occasion KMSS advisor Akhil Gogoi said that Assamese people are not serious about the land and the communities.
“The saffron party is fully prepared to impose Hindutva on Assam. It is high time for the Assamese people to be serious. No community can survive by killing another.”