The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Assam’s most well known and politically active students’ organisation, and the Artistes’ Society of Assam are all set to create conditions that ensure the birth of a new political party to cater to the state’s regional aspirations and to “channelise public anger against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the Bharatiya Janata Party”. If this happens it will be a déjà vu of the 1980s, where a similar agitation against illegal migrants under the leadership of AASU had led to the formation of the political party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which ruled the state as well.. However, this time, the AGP has been pushed to a corner by the AASU for supporting CAA in Parliament.
People who are aware of the developments in Assam have informed The Sunday Guardian that leaders of the “jatiyo sangathan” (a term used for the Assamese nationalist organisations), civil society members and artistes passionate about protecting the indigenous people from cultural and linguistic threats will be on board when the new political party is formed.
In a recent interview with The Sunday Guardian, AASU general secretary Lurin Jyoti Gogoi, did not deny the possibility of floating a new political party. He said, “…people are looking for a political alternative in Assam. It is because every political party who came to power betrayed the people of Assam. We all know that the Congress used illegal immigrants as their vote bank. The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), born out of the AASU, too betrayed the people by supporting the CAA. People had high expectations from the BJP as they had promised to implement the Assam Accord in letter and spirit. Now, they too betrayed us by bringing in the CAA. Thus, people are now looking for a political alternative with a true ideology of Assamese nationalism to protect the interest of the indigenous people of Assam.”
However, AASU activists maintain that they will remain apolitical and will help only in creating an environment for such a political move. One of the activists, who did not wish to be named, said: “Ballot is the strongest form of protest. People are wondering for how long we will continue with our protests. What will be its outcome? This is the reason why the people of Assam want a regional party which can represent the Assamese society in a real sense. All decisions taken politically are in the state Assembly or Lok Sabha—be it land rights for indigenous people, implementations of the language Act to reservations in jobs. All this can be done only through legislative power. So the people of Assam want a strong regional force that can protect the interests of the indigenous people.”
The political history of Assam shows that whenever the Assamese are up in arms out of fear of losing their identity, the politicians pay a heavy price. Congress’ Hiteshwar Saikia government in the 1980s is a striking example of this. And in 2020, the speculation of a new party in Assam has started haunting the BJP, with several rallies being held across the state for “peace and progress” to counter the narrative of the agitators. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, while addressing the media on 1 January had said: “Don’t ostracise me, where would I go? I am your son, a part of you. You have chosen me to lead you, how can I let you down? I have never compromised with the interests of the people of Assam.”
Meanwhile, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Finance Minister of Assam, seemed to be very confident about the BJP’s prospects in the upcoming Assembly elections. While addressing a rally in Jalukbari constituency on 29 December 2019, he claimed that the BJP would win 100 seats in the 2021 Assembly elections and those who were daydreaming about floating a political party would lose their deposits.
On the other hand, the Congress is of the opinion that though the new party will pose some challenges to the BJP in the state, it might dent the Opposition’s vote bank as well. Apurba Bhattacharya, general secretary of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, said: “The Congress is a national political party and we have nothing to say on any new party in Assam. However, our humble submission to the initiators is that if somehow the new party helps the BJP to come to power again by dividing the Opposition’s vote, they will have to face the people.”