Guwahati, Oct. 3: At least 14 Sahitya Sabhas, literary bodies of indigenous communities in Assam, today formed a forum for a joint agitation against the Centre's recent notification allowing "minorities" from Bangladesh and Pakistan to stay in India without valid documents and for fighting "Muslim jihadis, among others.

The United Forum for Indigenous People of Assam was constituted at a meeting of the Sahitya Sabhas here today.

The chief convener of the forum, Kamala Kanta Mushahary, said they would begin the joint agitation with a dharna in front of the Raj Bhavan here on October 27 as the NDA government's notification was "unacceptable" and "detrimental" to the interests and existence of the indigenous people of the state.

"We will launch a vigorous movement till the notification is withdrawn. We will not allow Assam to be used as a dumping ground for illegal migrants from Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered the state after March 24, 1971, irrespective of their religion. Through this notification, the BJP government is trying to give protection to thousands of Hindu Bangladeshi migrants illegally living in Assam," he said. The Assam Accord, signed among the Centre, the Assam government and the All Assam Students' Union following the Assam Agitation (1979-1985), had pledged to solve the foreigners problem. A tripartite meeting in 2005 had decided to update the National Register of Citizens, 1951, by including the names of all those who lived in the state till the midnight of March 24, 1971. The update is under way. The notification, which was issued on September 7 and allows minorities on "humanitarian ground" to live in India without valid documents, has left local organisations angry.

"We will invite literary bodies, student unions and non-political bodies of all indigenous groups to join us within two months and organise a massive rally in Guwahati. We expect one lakh indigenous people to participate in the rally to demand withdrawal of the notification," forum chairman Dayananda Borgohain said. "Our movement may turn more vigorous than the historic Assam Agitation," he added.

Mushahary said the forum would jointly fight "Muslim jihadi" groups. "The indigenous people are very worried over the activities of Muslim fundamentalists which came to light following recent arrests and busting of a training centre in Chirang district. We demand strong steps from the government to root out these groups," Mushahary, who is also the general secretary of Bodo Sahitya Sabha, said.

The forum has demanded a white paper from the Assam government on the number of Hindu and Muslim migrants from Bangladesh who entered Assam after March 24, 1971.

The forum office-bearers plan to urge local leaders of all parties in Assam to oppose the notification and the "anti-indigenous people" policies of the Centre.