By TCN News,
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has emphasized upon the need of having a constructive dialogue with all sections of the society to end the current unrest in the state. Talking to a high-profile delegation led by All India Milli Council (AIMC) General Secretary Dr Mohammed Manzoor Alam, Gogoi here on Sunday said it was necessary to arrive at a permanent solution in the Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD).
Gogoi assured the delegation to constitute immediately a monitoring committee that would regularly visit the relief camps in order to monitor the relief being given and also to hear grievances and provide redress to the people.
Referring to the resettlement and rehabilitation of those displaced, he said his goverment was also making every effort to create an atmosphere of peace and harmony and provide security so that they might go back to their villages as soon as possible. “It might take a fortnight or month but in any case it would be done shortly,” he added. He ensured students won’t suffer due to relief camps in most of the educational institutions.
Replying to a question, he declared legal action would be taken against those illegally possessing arms and ammunition. He admitted the fear psychosis still existed in the Muslim community. “The Muslims have, no doubt, suffered more in the current unrest,” he averred while sharing his view with Dr Alam.
Talking to a delegation member Sanjay Parikh, Supreme Court advocate and Peoples Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) vice president, the chief minister said money was being given for buying the utensils, however, in any case there was a problem, he would look into it. Regarding the problems of sanitation, he asured he had already given a direction for de-congestion of the relief camps and measures to deal with the mosquitoes. He also assured measures with regard to availability of doctors and medicines and keep a watch on occurence of the incidents of diahorrea and malaria to avoid happeninning of any epidemic as well as supply of clean drinking water. “Instead of giving clothes, a cash amount of Rs 500 would be given to the affected persons,” he said.
The delegation presented a 7-point memorandum to the chief minister after assessing the situation and talking to those affected by a month-long current crisis in Assam:
1. While appreciating the Central and State Governments for clearly declaring that there was no role of “Bangladeshi” and any other foreigners in the current unrest in Assam, AIMC condemns the killing of over 80 persons, injury to hundreds of people and displacement of about 4.46 lakh persons in Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD).
2. It demands ex-gratia amount of Rs 8 lakh (Rs 6 lakh from Assam State Govt and Rs 2 lakh from Centre) to be given equal to the victims of anti-Sikh riots of 1984.
3. Similarly it also demands the amounts announced by the state government for the injured and reconstruction of the houses to be enhanced as it was insufficient.
4. In the wake of the epidemics broken out in the relief camps, it also demands from the government to provide necessary medical assistance as well as medicines and clothes and blankets to those affected as well.
5. It demands return of those displaced and forced to live in make-shift relief camps established in educational institutions and other places, affecting the teaching of students only after their houses are rebuilt, safety and security ensured and congenial and harmonious atmosphere restored as well as prepare and implement a proper R&R within a time bound manner without any condition for their return to their native places as most of the documents have been burnt and destroyed.
6. It demands the govt to seize all the arms illegally possessed and take legal action.
7. It urges the government to review the 2003 Bodo Accord and give the equal representation to all the communities living in the BTAD and also in BAC to make it more democratic and representative.
The ten-member delegation included Christian dalit leader Franklin C Thomas, National Integration Council member Nawaid Hamid, Supreme Court advocate-on-record Mushtaque Ahmed, Chennai-based social activist Abdur Rahim Patel, Jaipur-based social activist Shabbir Khan, Hyderabad-based social activist Mohammed Ilyas Shamsi, senior journalist A U Asif and AIMC Assam Relief Committee president Inamuddin Ahmed.
A 22-member delegation under a relief and peace mission on Saturday visited relief camps in Chapor, Bilasipara and Dhubri and met the affected people. It also held a press meet at Dhubri Press Club and interacted with the local people of the civil society. Jahanuddin, local MLA, was too present on the occasion.