Tezpur: Almost 40 years after the historic Assam movement, the movement also known as one of the longest students' movements in the world, seems to have lost its meaning, particularly for the families of over 855 youths, who had laid down their lives during the movement.
The Assam Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched by the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP) in 1979 against the unabated influx of illegal foreigners into Assam particularly from Bangladesh. The Assam Movement ended in 1985 after the Centre led by the then Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi signed a historic Assam Accord, a peace Accord that not only assured to detect and deport the illegal foreigners from the state but also promised to ensure Constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.
The whole of Assam witnessed turbulent times from 1979 to 1985 with picketing, protests, bandhs and blockades becoming the order of the day and 855 youths were killed by the government who wanted to end the movement and ensure lasting peace in the State.
Almost 40 years after the signing of the Accord, most of the members of the families of the Assam Movement martyrs, however, feel that the sacrifices of 855 youths not only went in vain but the whole movement had already lost its prime objective--detection and deportation of illegal foreigners from Assam.
"Over the years, the Assam Accord has just become a 'tool' for the political parties in Assam to play politics. The movement that witnessed mass support and made everyone aware of the severity of the illegal influx of foreigners from Bangladesh into Assam has failed to reach its desired goal," said Alak Nath, of Tezpur, who had lost his elder brother Rupak Nath in the movement.
"While the movement forced the then State and Central governments not only to accept the problem of illegal influx but also the government to agree for the detection and deportation of foreigners, the subsequent governments that came to power in the state had not taken any step to detect and deport the illegal foreigners," claimed Alak Nath.
Three youths of Tezpur, Rupak Nath, Anukul Kakoty and Manjit Nath, fell to the CRPF firing on January 1, 1981. The three left their homes on December 31, 1981, to take part in a 36-hour road blockade which was organised in Tezpur as part of the Assam Movement. While the three were on their way home the next day after the road blockade was over, the CRPF fired randomly on the agitators to contain the situation, leaving the three dead.
"My elder brother had gone out to take part in the agitation. In between he came home to cook food and left home again to take part in the agitation. At around 4.30 pm we heard gunshots and when I rushed to the streets I could see people running. Somebody told me that my brother and two others were injured. When I reached the hospital I was told that my brother, Anukul kakoty and Manjit Nath died," said Alak, while remembering the tragic day four decades back.
"From 1985 to 2024, power in Dispur shifted several times and different political parties formed governments in Assam. There was also the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which was floated by some of the former AASU and AAGSP leadership. The AGP also formed governments for two terms in Assam. However, their focus changed soon after forming the government and they seemed to have forgotten the objective of the Assam movement," added Alak.
He said that the AGP besides running governments for two terms in Dispur also became a part of the government led by BJP and yet nothing happened to fulfil the aspirations of the people and implement the Clauses of Assam Accord.
"For my brother who died due to the agitation and the 854 other martyrs there was nothing personal, it was a larger goal of making Assam free of illegal foreigners," he said.
"I could still remember the day very clearly. Me, Rupak Da and Bhupen Da were there. There was a train blockade where we participated. It was 4 pm in the evening and the blockade time was already over and Bhupen Da was forcing Rupak Da to come along and return home. However, Rupak Da refused to return and stayed for some more time there. As me and Bhupen Da were returning we could hear gunshots firing. They (the CRPF) were firing randomly. Later we get to know that Rupak Da, Manjit and Anukul fell to the CRPF firing that day," said Nabajyoti Deka, a witness of the day.
Most of the families of the martyrs of the Assam Accord feel that the spirit of the Assam Accord has been diluted after the government had in 2019 passed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). While the Assam Accord provides that foreigners, who entered the state after the cut-off date of March 24, 1971, irrespective of their religious affiliation must be deported, the CAA provides citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Pakistan who entered India before December 31, 2014. The CAA's cut-off date is different from the Assam Accord's cut-off date, which critics say creates a loophole that exempts Bengali Hindus.
However, the Supreme in its ruling on October 17 this year upheld the 1971 cut-off date for granting citizenship to migrants in Assam. The Assam government has started commemorating Martyrs Day on December 10 every year to honour the 855 martyrs who had laid down their lives for the large cause of making Assam illegal-foreigner free estate.
"However, there is no point commemorating a day when the government does not respect the clauses of the Assam Accord. There is no point talking about the martyrs of the Assam Movement when the government implements the CAA that overrides the Assam Accord and provides citizenship to those who enter the state till December 31, 2014," rued Alak Nath.
