The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) on Friday hinted that it will take a final call on finding a political alternative in the state after discussions with their associate anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) groups next month.
AASU chief adviser Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharjya said the purpose of the March convention is to find a way to take forward the anti-CAA protest in a “non-violent” way.
However, AASU president Dipanka Kumar Nath said the day will come when the “alternative” the people of Assam are hoping for may be the “main” political party one day.
The student union’s reported move to float the political party has been an issue of wide discussion in Assam after AASU leaders in December last year talked about necessity of an alternative political party in the wake of passage of the citizenship bill in Parliament.
While the Opposition Congress has expressed its desire to be a part of that alternative, the ruling BJP has vowed to fight it head on.
The AASU on Friday had a daylong delegates’ meeting here where a number of issues were discussed, including floating a political party and taking forward the anti-CAA protest.
“The people of Assam have been looking for an alternative political party. That party may one day become the main political party of the state,” Nath told reporters after the meeting.
Nath said many who had shaped their political career after being with the students’ union had betrayed the people. “They have betrayed the people. The BJP also did the same. What will we do now? At this stage the AASU has responsibility and duty to perform. That is why we have decided to hold a convention at the end of March with our associate organisations to decide how to take forward our movement,” he said.
AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said they would organise programmes like meetings, processions and rallies in every nook and corner of the state to take the anti-CAA messages to create a “wave”.
“Board examinations for classes X and XII are going on, which has had an impact on the anti-CAA protests. We are forced to organise protests on those days when examinations are not held. But we will conduct a series of programmes to create a wave among the people,” Gogoi said. He added they would plan the programmes in consultation with other organisations.
The students’ union has been organising anti-CAA protests, along with the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) and 31 organisations of different indigenous communities.
The organisation also had its executive meeting on Thursday where it had discussed how to take forward the anti-CAA protests in the state once the board examinations are over.
The meeting also decided to reorganise its two brother organisations — Asom Unnati Sena and Asom Sena — and warned the state government not to harass AASU members for organising anti-CAA protests.
“We warn the government to stop atrocities on AASU members and anti-CAA protesters. Today, a number of AASU members were arrested in Golaghat for waving black flags (to BJP Assam state president Ranjeet Kumar Dass),” Bhattacharjya said.
AASU wanted the development of Bodoland Territorial Area Districts and protection of the rights of the non-Bodo people living in the BTAD, he added.
