|
Traders
demand PR in State
Trader’s bodies
of Assam have also joined the chorus for his government’s dismissal,
citing sharp deterioration in law and order situation. The Coordination
Committee of the Different Trade Associations and Chambers of Commerce (CCDTACC),
comprising 29 trade bodies spread across the State, has said “enough is
enough”.
A delegation of the Coordination Committee has rushed to the capital to
demand President’s Rule in Assam, alleging “complete failure of Tarun
Gogoi led Government in providing minimum security of life and property of
the innocent people of Assam”. The traders alleged that flight of
businessmen and labourers from Assam has begun.
The delegation, accompanied by AGP (P) president Parfulla Kumar Mahanta, met
Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and poured out their grievances to him.
The spate of bomb blasts in commercial hubs like Fancy Bazar, attack on
Hindi-speaking people, and massive extortions by ULFA were their grouses
against the Congress-led State Government.
The Union Home Minister, according to a member of the delegation, assured
them of safety and security and agreed to provide the State Government with
adequate forces. But he turned down the demand for dismissal of the State
Government.
“He told us that these incidents could not be a ground for imposition of
President’s Rule. He then cited the examples of Rajasthan and Delhi, which
were rocked by violence, pointing out that the Centre has not taken any such
steps in these States, as well,” a member of the delegation told newsmen.
Nonetheless, the delegation expressed its displeasure over the manner in
which the State Government was conducting itself. “It will be considered
precise to state that the administration in Assam has collapsed beyond
recovery and every passing day is a reminder of a horror of unmitigated
agony,” the memorandum submitted to Patil, said.
The Coordination Committee used strong words. Since the inception of the
present government in Assam, the State has been suffering from extreme fear
psychosis and threats. Extortions, killings, kidnappings and threats have
become the regular phenomenon in the State, they alleged.
The Hindi - speaking labourers being replaced by Bangladeshi labourer would
jeopardise the heritage and culture of the State, they alleged.
The prime concern of the traders was also that the traders outside the State
have stopped allowing them credit facilities following the series of violent
incidents. “They are now insisting on cash transactions,” said a member
of the delegation.
The traders outside Assam may stop the supply of commodities if the violent
situation continued, the memorandum explained.
Co-convenor of the Coordination Committee, Onkarmal Agarwal, who was also
part of the delegation, dismissed the State Government’s contention that
traders were not cooperating with the State Government. “What can we
do”? When the State Government itself reportedly bought peace with ULFA
for smooth conduct of the National Games, where do we stand”? he wondered.
Another member of the delegation, who did not wish to be named, said some of
the traders who contacted the authorities had to pay a heavy price, because
somehow the ultras came to know about it and made their lives hell.
The investors have started changing their stand and decided not to invest in
Assam in the present lawless situation, the memorandum said.
However, association of Mahanta with the delegation has raised quite a few
eyebrows. When asked about it, he explained that he just accompanied them
because he happened to be in the capital, as part of another delegation.
Mahanta
blasted for President’s Rule demand
Assam
Government spokesman and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma lambasted
former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta for orchestrating a team of
traders to demand Central rule in Assam. “We shall not be dictated by
traders, we have not been voted to power by traders, and those who went to
Delhi with Mahanta to demand the ouster of the state government are nobody
but a group of frustrated people,” he said.
Sarma, who is in the city on a surprise inspection of the Assam Medical
College, addressed a crowded news conference here today. He said the
persons who accompanied Mahanta to Guwahati include Rupam Goswami, a
former AGP activist, Onkarmal Agarwalla, an AGP(P) member and Vijai Gupta,
a treasurer of the Assam unit of BJP. “They are not even traders in the
true sense of the term,” he emphasized, and referred to them as a
“group of frustrated politicians.”
“Where were these people when militants killed 13 children at Dhemaji?”
he asked. He said the Tarun Gogoi – led government will never be cowed
down by any traders’ group. He also launched a broadside at Mahanta,
saying he being a leader of a regional party that believes in the
recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission (on Centre – State
relations), how could he ask for President's Rule! The Sarkaria Commission
recommendation was that President's Rule should be done away with, and
should not be imposed at all.
Sarma said that in absolute numbers, persons killed by terrorists have
come down, in comparison to that of the AGP period, when Mahanta was chief
minister. He added that the government can understand when demand for
President's Rule is raised by “organisations like AASU and AJYCP”,
saying such organisations have a “democratic right to do so."”
BJP demands President’s
Rule in State
On
the two most important issues rocking the State, the ruling Congress has
been seen as the troublemaker by several organizations including the
legislative party of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Assam Pradesh, which has
demanded imposition of President’s Rule in the State with immediate
effect. Hammering the Congress for its alleged role in pushing national
interests to the backseat, the BJP legislative party has accused the
Congress of abetting the influx of foreigners and providing them legal
cover to stay as bona fide citizens of the country.
It has also held the Congress guilty of taking the help of ultras during
the time of elections and giving them a free hand to carry out their
sinister designs.
In a memorandum submitted to the President of India, the BJP legislative
party has complained that the Congress Government in Assam and the other
parties who could have exerted influence on the ultras were utilizing the
ultras to further their own self-interests.
Deputy leader of the legislative party, Ranjit Dutta alleged that the
successive Congress regimes have been responsible for the ultras getting
emboldened and letting loose a reign of terror. “The recent series of
bomb blasts in the capital city is a pointer to the aggressiveness of the
ultras, bolstered perhaps by the hidden support of the ruling party in the
State,” said Dutta.
According to Dutta, with patronage of the Congress and under pressure from
ISI and other jehadi groups, the same ultras had created a situation of
mayhem and bloodbath by targeting the linguistic minorities and
Hindi-speaking people.
Dutta further added that the prime motive behind the recent terror was to
create panic amongst the affected people so that exodus of the Indian
citizens started on the desired scale and the void was filled up by the
Bangladeshi infiltrators.
It may be mentioned here that the BJP legislators have also referred to
the SIM card controversy that has traced some of the mobile phone used by
the ultras to the names and addresses of Congress members and State
headquarters of the party. Requesting the President to take note of the
controversy, the legislators have asserted that the controversy was a
clear case of the Congress lending support to the ultras.
On the other hand, the legislators, while pointing out the demographic
invasion of Assam, have requested the President to do the needful on the
issue of Bangladeshi infiltration. The legislators also warned that if the
writing on the wall was not heeded at the earliest, a time would come when
the indigenous people of the State would be left with no other option but
to be guided by the foreigners.
Assam | North East Enquirer (Headlines) | Nena Home Page |
|
