OUR CORRESPONDENT
SIVASAGAR: A protest was organized in front of the statue of Dr Bhupen Hazarika in Sivasagar town under the initiative of the Ujoni Asom Muslim Kalyan Parishad and with the support of various organizations on Monday. More than two hundred protestors participated in the demonstration, raising slogans and creating a charged atmosphere.
Partha Jyoti Bora, joint secretary of Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union, expressed strong opposition to the inclusion of non-Mising villages in the Mising Autonomous Council (MAC). He alleged that under the leadership of Assam’s influential minister, Ranoj Pegu, there is a conspiracy to include several non-Mising dominated villages in Sivasagar and Dhemaji districts into MAC. Bora warned that the protest in historic Sivasagar is a signal to the Assam government to stop this conspiracy.
Jintu Mech, president of Asom Chhatra Yuva Sanmilan, expressed no objection to the formation of the Mising Autonomous Council for the economic development of the indigenous Mising community. However, he emphasized that every community in India has the constitutional right to live with political, economic, and social dignity. Mech stated that if the government forcibly includes non-Mising majority areas into MAC, ignoring the rightful demands of the people, it could lead to widespread anger in Upper Assam.
Diganta Tamuli, president of Tai Ahom Yuva Parishad, said that the draft of the new MAC includes several non-Mising dominated regions, which they strongly oppose. While supporting the uplift of the Mising community, he argued that non-Mising dominated areas should not be included in MAC. If the government continues to push for the inclusion of these areas, despite the strong opposition, it could lead to serious unrest.
Monirul Islam Bora, executive president of the Central Committee of the Ujoni Asom Muslim Kalyan Parishad, alleged that the government has been persistently trying to include non-Mising dominated areas into MAC. He recalled that in 2013, then Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had withdrawn such attempts after strong protests from the people of Sivasagar.
However, the current government is now planning to include 11 non-Mising dominated areas, including Kowamora Handique, Kordoiguri, Koibarta Doloni, Demowmukh, Alisiga, Boloma Koibarta, Ajarbari Ligiribari, and others into MAC, which could create friction within different communities. Bora warned that if the government does not reconsider this decision, the situation in Upper Assam could worsen.
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