Guwahati, Dec 10 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that after decades of Assam agitation, the state is still facing the threat of demographic changes with indigenous people losing their land.
He said, “The Assam Movement was a manifestation of a resolution to protect Assam and its people from the scourge of illegal migration. However, even after decades of agitation, the uncertainty shrouding Assam is yet to be over. The state is still facing threats of demographic change.”
According to Sarma, the indigenous Assamese people are losing rights over land. In view of this, the State government is working to safeguard the rights of the people of the state over land.
Even after criticism from all quarters, the state government took steps to evict illegal settlers from Gorukhuti and it was a success.
He said that in the last three years, the State government worked relentlessly to secure the land rights of the indigenous people of the state. All illegal encroachment in Kaziranga have been evicted.
Sarma today attended the observance of “Swahid Divas” organised by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha at Jamugurihat in Sonitpur district.
Paying rich tributes to all martyrs of the Assam Movement who laid down their lives to protect the land, the CM said, “Swahid Divas is a solemn occasion to remember the stellar contributions of the martyrs who protected the honour of Assam”.
He further stated, “We must not forget the dark days of history when over 800 innocent and patriotic people from Assam were killed trying to preserve the honour of their beloved state.”
Remembering the supreme sacrifice of Khargeswar Talukdar who became the first martyr of Assam Agitation, the Chief Minister said that his sacrifice created a pall of gloom across the state as well as the country.
He said that inspired by Khargeswar Talukdar, other martyrs numbering more than 800 also laid down their lives for the cause of the state.
Sarma also said that the state government is working tirelessly for the people of Assam to ensure the preservation of their identity and ensure their development. The government is also working towards delimitation to restrict the impact of infiltrators. Moreover, the State government has cleared 10 thousand hectares of land from encroachment.
He also said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the delimitation exercise in all the 126 Legislative Assembly constituencies in Assam secured at least 105 constituencies for the indigenous people.
A movement to preserve the Assamese language, land, and identity swept over Assam between 1979 and 1985.
Students across the state led by AASU participated in the Assam Agitation, a movement that called on the government to stop illegal immigration from neighbouring countries and protect the land, language, and cultural identity of the Assamese people.
Despite experiencing police brutality, AASU leaders organised protests when regionalism was on the rise throughout the state.
The Assam Accord, which was signed on August 15, 1985, marked the end of the students’ agitation after many agitators gave their lives in the process.
–IANS
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