New Delhi: Assam has been witnessing massive protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) since it was passed in both the Houses of Parliament. The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) is best known for leading the six-year Assam Movement against illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and finally signing the Assam Accord. Presently, the AASU is leading the anti-CAA protests in Assam, along with other organisations. Lurin Jyoti Gogoi, general secretary, AASU, spoke to this newspaper on the protest in Assam against the CAA.
Excerpts:
Q: Why is AASU protesting against the CAA?
A: We have been protesting against it since 2016 when it was not even an Act. Our fundamental problem against the CAA is that it nullifies the Assam Accord. According to Clause 5 of the Assam Accord, anyone coming to Assam after 1971 has to be deported from Assam irrespective of their religion. We have already accepted the foreigners from 1951 to 1971. We will not accept any foreigner who entered Assam after 1971, be it Hindu or Muslim. The intensity of influx of foreigners is totally different in Assam than in other states like Gujarat or Rajasthan. Illegal infiltration has adversely affected our culture, language and demography and marginalised the indigenous people of Assam. It threatens the political future of indigenous people as the illegal immigrants will outnumber the indigenous population.
Q: According to the CAA, citizenship will be given to people who entered India till 31 December 2014. As per the BJP’s statement, only those who are already living here and have been living in this country for long will be given citizenship. So, do you think there will be more influx due to the CAA?
A: As per the CAA, no one needs to provide any certificate or document to get citizenship. So, anyone coming after 2014 may easily get citizenship by claiming that he has entered before 2014. Moreover, the 2014 dateline can get changed by another ordinance. We are not convinced with what they are saying.
Q: The Centre has already said that it won’t step back from the CAA. So, for how long is AASU going to protest?
A: AASU will continue its protests. The Central Government said that Clause 6 of the Assam Accord will be implemented to safeguard the rights of indigenous people of Assam. Clause 6 was granted to us only after we had agreed to take the burden of illegal foreigners till 1971. So, Clause 6 is our right. It is not meant for accepting foreigners till 2014.
Q: Do you have any plan of action or any demand in specific to safeguard the interests of Assamese people?
A: The CAA is being imposed on us. This type of imposition by the Central government is not new to Assam, be it the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) (IMDT) Act or Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA). If the Central government is not ready to compromise, we, too, will not bow down or compromise. The fight will go on. We are living in a federal structure and it is our right to protect our language, culture and political future.
Q: Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, ex-president of AASU, has supported the CAA. He has also said that the implementation of Clause 6 will safeguard the interest of indigenous Assamese. What is your opinion on the CM’s stance?
A: Sarbananda Sonowal is saying these things to save his chief ministership. He forgot the philosophy and ideology of AASU. Now, he only understands power and vote bank. His political opportunism has been exposed. Now, he is more concerned about his political career than the interest of Assamese people. He is misleading people by talking about Clause 6. I stand by my stance that Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, which seeks to provide constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguard to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people, was granted because we accepted illegal foreigners till 1971. It was not meant for accepting illegal foreigners till 2014.
Q: Besides Assam, protest against the CAA is going on in other parts of the country as well. Is there any difference in terms of issues raised in Assam and in the rest of the country?
A: There is some difference. Here, we are talking about the secular spirit of the Constitution to detect and deport illegal foreigners. However, in some other parts of the country, people are protesting against it for not including Muslims in the list of religions that the CAA will grant citizenship. So, they will be satisfied if the Muslims are included. However, we will not accept that. If Muslims are added as well in the list, then Assam will have to take the burden of both the Hindus and Muslims. This is not acceptable to us.
Q: Several media reports have suggested that AASU, along with the Artistes’ Society of Assam, is going to form a party soon. Are the reports true?
A: It will be decided by the people. I can’t say anything on this. However, it is indeed true that 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. Asom Gana Parishad, born out of 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 indigenous people of Assam. AASU is a non-political organisation. Thus, the best we can do is to create an environment for such alternative. After all, ballot is the strongest medium of protest.