AASU to launch agitation against illegal influx in Assam

The All Assam Students Union (AASU) on Wednesday has decided and declared a vigorous and continuous agitation across the State against the Central and the State Government for failing to deport illegal Bangladeshi migrants even after the scrapping of the IM(DT) Act nearly three years back. The IM(DT) Act was scrapped on July 12 in 2005 by Supreme Court of India acting on the petition of former AASU president Sarbananda Sonowal.

Addressing media persons, the functionaries of the student body, adviser Dr Samujjal Bhattacharya, president Sankar Prasad Rai and general secretary Tapan Kumar Gogoi warned that the AASU would resist all attempts to provide safeguard to the illegal Bangladeshis. “The Congress Government has failed to honour the verdict of the Supreme Court which has compelled us to start our agitation again to save Assam from the Bangladeshis,” said Dr Bhattacharya regretting that the Congress Government has totally ignored the crucial issues like sealing the border, providing constitutional safeguards to the indigenous communities in the State, update of the NRC and implementation of the provisions of the Assam Accord.

Bhattacharya informed that from July 12 the agitational programme of the student body would commence, the day of the Supreme Court ruling in connection to the IM(DT) Act.

Majuli on the verge to miss place in Heritage List

India’s proposal to include endangered Majuli Island in World Heritage Site List remains inconclusive when the 32nd session of the World Heritage Committee, winding up inscription of new sites yesterday. 19 cultural sites and 8 natural sites were added this year in the list. This year India has submitted only two proposals, one is Majuli and another is The 96 km long Kalka-Shimla Railway. UNESCO’s World Heritage List have a total of 878 sites, 679 cultural and 174 natural sites and 25 mixed in 145 countries.

Concerned officials did not get confirmation about the fate of the proposal on Majuli Island, as they yet to hear from the offcials who are in Canada and their meeting is scheduled to continue till 10 July.

Sources said that the technical Committee of the Heritage Committee had opined that the due to global warming, the Island might face submersion in the future. It had recommended that the proposal be deferred for now.