By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Nov 23: Without any tangible proof many statements are taken for granted and such statements become veritable gospel truths when the persons against whom the statements are made and others in the know of the facts do not like to be in denying modes. Such an incident came to light today when former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, in his capacity as the chief adviser of the Asom Andolan Sangrami Mancha, asked reporters as to what proof they or anybody else have to substantiate that former Congress minister Abdul Muhib Mazumdar did script the draft of the controversial and now-abrogated IM(DT) Act.
Mahanta asked reporters this question when the latter pointed out the recent allegation leveled against him by the BJP that he had inducted the author of the IM(DT) Act, Abdul Muhib Mazumdar, into his Cabinet even as he was out to champion the cause of deportation of foreigners from the State. Many in the State, including jourlists and others, are in the habit of stating Mazumdar as the author of the IM(DT) Act. Neither Mazumdar nor anyone from the Congress party was on record denying this statement since 1983 when the controversial Act had been ected. Anyway, such a question from Mahanta seems to make those who say and consider Mazumdar as the author of the IM(DT) Act to be on the back foot. Even if Mazumdar scripted the draft of the Act, how can one prove it? Definitely, Mahanta enjoys the edge of getting the benefit of doubt. His question, it seems, is a calculated shot.
On the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 Mahanta said: “If the Bill is not cancelled the language, literature and culture of Assam will be at stake. The sacrifices made by the 855 martyrs during the Assam Agitation will also go in vein. If the Bill gets its passage, Assam and Tripura will the worst affected in the Northeast for other States in the region are hills. This apart it will be a blatant violation of the Assam Accord. When the Assam Accord was signed, all parties welcomed it. It’s for this reason, we appeal to the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister to cancel the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.”
Mahanta further said: “From November 25 onward we’re going for a tionwide campaign against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. We’ll meet all members of parliament regardless of their party affiliation seeking their opposition to the Bill.”
When asked for comment on the statement – the Assam Accord is an accord, not an Act – made recently by RSS leader Shankar Das, Mahanta said: “Implementing the Assam Accord was one of the Assam Assembly poll promises of the BJP. They leaders of the party were on record saying that after May 2014 all Bangladeshis staying illegally in the State would have to pack up. Opposing the India-Bangladesh Land Swap Deal the BJP did hoist the tiol Flag in Karimganj district.”
When asked if he was making all such statements against the BJP to put pressure on its leaders to pick him as a governor of a State, Mahanta said: “Such talks do come up while discussing issues that have much to do with Assamese tiolity.”
Mahanta also said: “Now former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. However, this is the avowed concept of the Congress over the years.”
Asom Andolan Sangrami Mancha president and former MP Kumar Dipak Das said: “Earlier a Bill was introduced for long-term visa for Bangladeshis staying in the country. That Bill did have a cut-off date, coming to India till December 31, 2014. However, the present Bill doesn’t have any cut-off date. It means that any Hindu Bangladeshi coming to Assam even in the future will be given Indian citizenship after the Bill becoming an Act.”