Enforce Inner Line Permit in Assam before CAB: AGP

Guwahati: Bogged down by excessive criticism, the regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) on Friday said they have written a letter to Union home minister Amit Shah demanding that the Centre ensure constitutional safeguards for the indigenous people of Assam before bringing in the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

The regional party’s stand on CAB has led to a divide amomg its rank and file as senior leaders Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Brindaban Goswami and Ramendra Narayan Kalita were absent from the emergency meeting of the party.

Three AGP legislators — Atul Bora, Keshab Mahanta and Phani Bhusan Choudhury, ministers in the BJP-led state government — have been accused of maintaining a “dubious” stand on the bill while the party’s seniors are opposing it.

Mr Bora, also the party chief, called an emergency meeting of AGP leaders on Thursday and decided to send the letter to Mr Shah. After the meeting, AGP legislator and state water resources minister Keshab Mahanta said their letter had asked for constitutional safeguards for the indigenous people of Assam before bringing in the CAB, plus 100 per cent reservation for indigenous people in government jobs, the Assembly and parliamentary seats from the state, the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system and Scheduled Tribe status for six communities — Sootea, Muttock, Moran, Koch Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom and tea tribes. The regional party’s demands also include reserving 100 out of 126 Assembly seats for representatives belonging to the indigenous communities of the state.

Party insiders, however, feel that the move has come very late. “The party leaders, especially those in the government, could have taken concrete steps to stop the bill. But they kept silent. Now they are only trying to avert criticism,” one of them alleged. They sought a change of guard in the party leadership.

Meanwhile, students of Cotton University here on Friday organised a “Ranhungkar” protest in which hundreds of people took part. Many civil society leaders, including singer Zubeen Garg and students ofJNU and Delhi University have also extended their support to the protest against the CAB.

The speakers in the rally also clarified: “This is not a war against the Bengali community. This is a war to protect our motherland from illegal immigrants.” Activists from various fields including Tarali Sarma, Manas Robin, Amrita Gogoi, senior journalist Ajit Bhuyan and social activist Udayaditya Bharali were among those who participated the protest rally.

The CAB seeks to amend a 1955 law to grant citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan.