The All Assam Students Union (AASU) today threatened to launch a second Assam movement to protest against the Centre’s decision to give citizenship to all Hindu Bangladeshis who came here after 1971.
Addressing a gathering during its ‘Gana Satyagrah’ programme here, AASU Chief Advisor Sammujjal Bhattacharjya said, “Assam will not bear the burden of illegal migrants whether they are Hindus or Muslims. We are neither anti-Muslims nor anti-Bengalis, but we are against illegal Bangladeshis.
“The people who came here illegally from the neighbouring country after 1971 are all Bangladeshis,” said the leader of AASU, which had spearheaded the six-year-long Assam movement in the early ’80s against illegal Bangladeshi migrants in the state.
Terming the Centre’s decision to grant Indian citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshis as a “shameful act”, Bhattacharjya said, “Assam will not bear any extra burden of Bangladeshis”.
Addressing the gathering, ASSU secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said, “If the Central government will not cancel its decision of giving citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshis, then Assam will again face a second Assam Movement.”
Urging the people of the state to again start a second Assam Movement, Gogoi categorically said, “Assam will not bear the burden of illegal migrants from Bangladesh after the cut off base year 1971 (as per the Assam Accord)”.
“The Prime Minister had assured us before the elections that the illegal Bangladeshi problem in Assam will be solved but after the polls he cheated us.
“Chief minister Tarun Gogoi also remained silent in this regard. We urge Gogoi to support the indigenous Assamese people instead of the Bangladeshis,” the student leader demanded.