[Assam] Stop giving political colour: student bodies

[Rajen & Ajanta Barua]

Stop giving political colour: student bodies
By Our Correspondent
 GUWAHATI, Dec 2 - "Stop giving a political colour to the unfortunate Beltola clash." This is what the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and the Adivasi student organisations have to say to the State Government and other political parties. At a joint press conference AASU, the All Adivasi Students' Association of Assam (AASAA) and the Assam Tea Tribes Students' Association (ATTSA), warned all the political parties not to resort to cheap political gimmicks and instead put in their efforts for restoring peace and harmony among all the communities in the State. 

AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya said, "There is no denying the fact that the Beltola clash was possible only due to the gross inefficiency of the government machinery but it is not the time to repent or make political mileage out of the issue. Peace and harmony is a dire necessity and everyone, be it the political parties, the student bodies or the common public, should lend a helping hand."

When asked why the members of the AASU did not feel the necessity of intervening in the clash to control the situation that lasted for almost three hours, Bhattacharya said, " We are not police and it is the role of the administration."

Surprisingly, the influential student body had on several occasions in the recent past donned the mantle of moral police. 

He further informed that a sit-in demonstration would be organised jointly by AASU, ATTSA and AASAA on December 7 to appeal for peace and also to demand for ST status all the six communities including the Adivasis of the State.

"We also want the State Government to ensure that the interest of the communities already enjoying ST status, should not be hampered while trying to bring all these six communities under ST umbrella," he clarified.

"We warn all the political parties in the State not to flare up the issue," Bhattacharya said.

"Moreover, a peace rally would also be organised throughout the length and breadth of the State, especially in the sensitive areas under the aegis of AASU, AASAA, ATTSA and others," informed Bhattacharya, while adding, "The exams would be exempted from any kind of agitational programme across the State." 

AASAA assistant general secretary David Horo, while urging the people of the State to shun violence, stated that the organisation never thought that such an incident would take place while marching ahead with a democratic rally in the city.

When asked as to what propelled them to bring sharp weapons along with them during the rally, Horo said, "Some of the weapons like bow and arrow, which our people brought, are part of our culture but yes, not all of them."

"The other sharp weapons like axe were not brought by our people. If at all these were brought, it must have been done under the influence of a third party," he reasoned. 

Prahlad Goala, general secretary, ATTSA, while demanding rigorous punishment to the culprits, also called for a speedy investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the entire episode. 

The organisations further appealed to the media, both print and electronic, not to publish or telecast, the picture of the Adivasi women, who was stripped by some miscreants during the Beltola clash.