Students union in Assam protests influx of Bangladeshi immigrants

JORHAT - All Tai Ahom Student Union (ATASU), a student’s wing in Jorhat, Assam staged a peaceful sit-in protest, against the influx of Bangladeshi immigrants in the region.

Hundreds of students gathered for the protest on Tuesday, saying the entry of Bangladeshi immigrants into the state is posing a great threat to the identity of Assam’s people.

The ATASU demanded the resumption of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) from the state government. They also demanded that Assam be declared as an Indigenous Tribal State.

“If Assam is transformed into an Indigenous Tribal state, then the problem will be minimized. Therefore, we demand that the (central and state) government recognize Assam as an Indigenous Tribal State, to bring permanent solution to the influx of foreigners in the state,” said Amol Gogoi, president of the ATASU.

Earlier, the opposition parties and the student bodies in Assam came out strongly against the Congress-led government’s decision to suspend the exercise of the NRC, which is aimed at identifying Bangladeshi immigrants in the state.

Another students union of the state, the All Assam Students Union (AASU) has also decided to stage a protest in Diphu district on September 13.

A public meeting would also be held at the Haflong town on September 28 as a measure of protest against the immigrant problem in Guwahati on October 1. By Apem Kemdong (ANI)