AASU stages hunger strike in Dhubri, demands Assam Accord implementation

The All Assam Students' Union (AASU), Dhubri district unit, staged an 11-hour hunger strike on Thursday, September 4, demanding strict implementation of the Assam Accord and a permanent solution to the issue of illegal migration from Bangladesh.

The protest, held in front of Dhubri Sahitya Sabha Bhawan, saw student leaders raise slogans against the state and central governments, accusing them of failing to protect the rights of indigenous people.

District general secretary Jibon Barua said the agitation was aimed at drawing attention to the “alarming situation” created by the unabated influx of illegal migrants. He reiterated that the Assam Accord, signed in 1985 after years of mass agitation, remains the only viable solution but continues to be ignored.

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The AASU put forth a set of demands, including the complete removal of illegal Bangladeshis and fundamentalists, time-bound implementation of every clause of the Assam Accord, and sealing of the Indo-Bangladesh border with shoot-on-sight orders for trespassers. 

The student body also demanded exclusion of Assam from the ambit of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and immediate enforcement of the Biplab Kumar Sharma Committee recommendations on Clause 6, which pertain to constitutional safeguards for Assamese people.

Rupak Ray Bepari, district advisor and central committee executive member, warned that the indigenous population faces an existential threat if urgent action is not taken. He called upon both the Centre and the state government to take concrete steps to safeguard Assam’s cultural and demographic identity.