AASU Burns Effigies of State Government & NHPC; AJYCP Burns CM’s Effigy

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: In the wake of the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the State Government and National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Limited on Friday with regard to the resumption of the construction work of Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project (SLHP), a series of agitation programmes initiated by various anti-big dam activists organizations against the contentious project and the State Government rocked Lakhimpur on Saturday.

Notably, these organizations were on the streets with various protest programs during the past few days after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had pronounced a verdict in favor of NHPC regarding the SLHP. The signing of MoA by the State Government and NHPC has caused more resentment among the anti-big dam activist organizations.

Strongly protesting against this move of the NHPC and the State Government, the activists of the North Lakhimpur regional unit of All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) burnt the symbolic effigies of NHPC and the State Government at 3.30pm at Main Chariali of North Lakhimpur town on Saturday. The protesters rocked the environment, flaying the State Government and issuing warning to NHPC not to proceed with resuming the construction work of the project.

On the other hand, the Lakhimpur district body of AASU also vehemently condemned the development. In a press release, Lakhimpur AASU president Pulok Jyoti Borah and general secretary Dhanmoni Dutta demanded to stop the construction of the project until and unless the security of the downstream people of the Subansiri River and their properties were not ensured.

“The government has not executed the report of the expert committee, constituted in the tri-partite meeting held between the AASU, NHPC and the State Government. The expert committee, constituted by the Union Government, was to accept the opinions of Assam’s experts and the people of the State regarding the issue. We vehemently condemn the biased decision taken by the government to complete the project. The decision which was taken in a closed room keeping the people of the State in dark is unfortunate,” stated the press release.

In the same press release, the organization sharply criticized Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and the BJP government for their U-turn regarding the issue.

“The Chief Minister has worked as per the direction of New Delhi for the greed of power, turning his back to the interest of the common masses. He no longer has a love for his native people,” the press release added. In this regard, the organization slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who opposed the construction of SLHP arriving at Gogamukh and Gerukamukh before the previous parliamentary election. Further, the organization criticized Lakhimpur MP Pradan Baruah too who was allegedly keeping a safe distance from the people of the constituency regarding the SLHP issue. The president and the general secretary reiterated that the organization would intensify anti-SLHP agitation which had been initiated since the initial construction stage of the project.

On the other hand, the North Lakhimpur regional unit of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Parishad (AJYP) also burnt the effigy of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal regarding the same issue. The activists of the organization blocked the ASTC Road in North Lakhimpur town in order to protest against the move of the State Government and NHPC with regard to the resumption of the construction work of the SLHP after the rainy season.

Leading the protest program, AJYP North Lakhimpur regional president Monoj Kalita, general secretary-in charge Tilak Das and district unit cultural secretary Bishal Saikia came down heavily against the State Government and the NHPC as well as the Union Government regarding their moves to complete the project, ignoring the democratic movements. They declared that their organization never approved of such insulting moves to resume the construction work of the project by compromising with the greater interest of innocent people. The organization also issued warning to the State and Union governments and NHPC to scrap the MoA immediately and to work for the favour of public or to face intensified agitation to be initiated in association with the people of the State.

The dignitaries and the activists of several regional units under the district body of the organization were present in the protest program on Saturday.

Also Read: Lower Subansiri project NHPC ready to resume work at Dollongmukh of Arunachal Pradesh

Also Watch: Religious procession by Sikh community people arrives in Biswanath Chariali