|
Kokrajhar, Nov. 1: The All Bodo Students’ Union (Absu) has demanded transparency in rehabilitation of relief camp inmates and threatened all the authorities concerned to make them legally accountable for allowing resettlement of suspected foreigners.
The students’ union also strongly opposed government’s proposal to set up a new village for illegal immigrants terming it a visionless and irresponsible initiative of the government.
Talking to reporters at Bodofa House in Kokrajhar, president of the union, Promode Boro said: “The union is disappointed over irresponsible and half-hearted approach of the government in dealing with land and influx issues after the recent spate of violence in lower Assam districts. The union will not tolerate any kind of conspiracy in land matters by any agency for which the indigenous populace will have to face conflict again. The union clearly stated that the indigenous population have suffered a lot from the conflict repeatedly taking place in the state in the past couple of decades.”
Demanding an effective verification process by which the problem of encroachment can be resolved, Boro appealed to the authorities concerned to make the suspected foreigners who are returning to villages without respecting the verification process, legally accountable.
Boro said government agencies should not show irresponsible attitude for which the innocent citizens have to suffer again and again.
On the proposal to set up a new village for illegal foreigners, the student leader termed it “against the law of the land”.
“The law of the land should not be diluted for political interest and people who are found illegal immigrants after verification must be deported for the sake of internal security of the state,” Boro said.
He added that the union would strongly oppose such “visionless and irresponsible” initiative of the government. Resettlement of the suspected illegal immigrants who could not provide proper documents in support of their legality during the process of verification in BTAD area would not be tolerated, he said.
The influential students’ union said it was strongly observing every activity of the government in matters pertaining to resettlement and rehabilitation after the recent clash.
“The union opposes every wrong step taken by the government for which the indigenous communities are facing unbearable pain in the last couple of decades. So, there will not be any excuse in matters of violation of the law of the land by the authority itself for which the sons of the soil have to become homeless in their own land. The union reminds the government to show sincerity in resolving the issues,” Boro said.
The students’ union also demanded that the government extend the ration supply to victims for the next six months on humanitarian ground after they return to their villages.
Boro demanded more rehabilitation grants after assessment of the value of residential and non-insured damaged properties.
“The authority should not behave inhumanly with the victims as it is a matter of human rights. We appeal to the government to take care of security, health and other important aspects like education till normality is restored in the affected areas,” Boro said.
| 
