AASU Should Accept Responsibility for the Failure of NRC: Upamanya Hazarika

Guwahati, September 3, 2019:

Senior advocate Upamanyu Hazarika has slammed the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) draft after its publication, and added that many Bangladeshis have made it to the list. He further condemned the Assam Movement leaders, along with the leadership of the Al Assam Students' Union (AASU).

The Senior Advocate said that the Final NRC, with 19 lakhs excluded from the draft, is a certification of the failure of the 40-year-old-Assam Movement and is an insult to the sacrifice made by 855 martyrs.

He said that the leaders of the Assam Movement have failed and broken the trust of the people and now are busy disowning their responsibility.

All these leaders derive their entire identity, livelihood and presence by taking leadership of this issue, but have put their own interest above that of the community.

It is singularly unfortunate for the people of Assam that not a single leader who drew sustenance from this cause for their own selves for the last 40 years have come forward to take responsibility for this colossal failure.

"Chief Minister Sonowal who only in the last year had said that the draft NRC is a protective shield for Indigeneous Identity, has now changed his tune pushing the responsibility for the failure of NRC to Identify Foreigners upon the Supreme Court and the NRC officials", he alleged.

He also added that the after the inclusion of such a large number of Foreigners, this NRC has struck a blow upon the self-confidence and determination of the Indigeneous people.

He said that if the Assam Movement leaders, presently a part of the Government, had not accepted 1971 as the cut off year for grant of citizenship, then Assam would have been better off by having a cut-off similar with the rest of India i.e, 19th July 1948.

Hazarika also had some stern words for the AASU leaders. "The leadership of AASU which has also been spearheading the leadership should also come forward and accept responsibility for this failure of the Assam Movement. At this critical juncture, all indigeneous people, both individually and collectively should set aside their self-interest by putting forward only the interest of the community", he added.

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