It was in 2005 when Sarbanabda Sonowal drew huge applause across Assam for getting IMD(T) Act scrapped by the Supreme Court. But the same person today contradicts what he told the same court more than a decade ago as Assam Chief Minister.
This was more or less of what Upamanyu Hazarika said in New Delhi on Friday a day after the Sonowal government made its submission before the top court on the growing issue on the cut off year to detect and deport the illegal Bangladeshi supporters from Assam.
The convener of the Prabojon Virodhi Manch, an organization fighting against the alleged unabeted influx from across the Indo-Bangladesh border, thrashed the BJP -led central and state governments alleging that their submissions are quite different from what they said before coming to power.
“It sounds strange to have seen that Sonowal has contradicted the judgment which helped him steal the limelight. In 2005, he talked of an ubabeted influx from across the border which posed a serious threat to the indigenous people. But now his government says the political rights of the indigenous people are not affected by the immigration and for enabling the foreigners to vote,” said Hazarika.
He criticised the Sonowal and his government for the submission that there was no foundation to prove how many foreigners have enrolled their names in the electoral rolls where in 2005, as a community hero talked of large scale immigration of Bangladeshi nationals which he then called external aggression and internal disturbance.
Both Delhi and Dispur wanted citizenship to all immigrants to avoid yet another strife as the Assam Accord with March 25, 1971 as cut off date was signed after a six year long agitation which nobody want afresh, said Hazarika.
Non stopped influx of immigrants from across the border is said to have been disrupting the state’s demography forcing the AASU to launch a six year long agitation from 1979 to 1985 which ended with the signing of the Assam Accord.
The agitators who later floated the regional Asom Gana Parishad was in power for two terms. But the main clause to detect and deport the immigrants progressed at a snail’s pace.
Now a number of organizations have moved the supreme court challenging the cut off date and a constitutional bench is hearing the plea from May 11.
October 14, 2025 - Students from Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti School emerged victorious in the Assam State finale of the Wild Wisdom Global Challenge, defeating competitors from 109 other schools in what organizers called one of the most competitive rounds in the program's 18-year history.
The competition, held at Miles Bronson Residential School in Guwahati, saw participation from 220 students representing schools from across the state. Ashwin Anand of Class 9 and Anubhadipta Boruah of Class 8 from the winning school will advance to represent Assam in the zonal round of India's largest wildlife quiz competition.
STATEWIDE PARTICIPATION REACHES RECORD LEVELS
This year's competition...
As part of the observance of Anna Sewa Din, Smt. Pratibha Meshram, Co-district Commissioner, Nazira, and Sri Kalyan Jyoti Hazarika, Assistant Director (i/c), Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, conducted an extensive inspection of various Fair Price Shops (FPS) under Nazira Co-district on Day 4 of the programme. The inspection was carried out in the presence of departmental officials with the objective of ensuring the proper and transparent distribution of food grains under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).
During the visit, the officials thoroughly verified the stock registers, distribution records, and other related documents maintained by the FPS...
The Rongmei community of Guwahati came together to celebrate its 7th Charuangc Khatni Zawthanh Kariumei 2025 (Cultural and Freshers’ Meet) under the theme “Reaffirming Identity, Shaping Futures” at the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre Auditorium on Thursday.
The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from Rongmei residents and freshers from across the city. The celebration was graced by Chief Guest Chaitali Panmei, IRS (Retd.), former Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, North Eastern Region, and Guest of Honour Rev. T.P. Mordecai, Associate Secretary, EFI North East. Both dignitaries inspired the gathering with their reflections on the importance of cultural identity and...
A devastating accident at the Ennore Thermal Power construction site in Tamil Nadu claimed the lives of nine workers from Assam and nearby regions on Tuesday, after a steel arch collapsed.
TANGEDCO Chairman Dr. J. Radhakrishnan confirmed that one worker was critically injured, while over 10 others sustained serious injuries and were admitted to Stanley Government Hospital in North Chennai. BHEL officials have reached the site as rescue operations continue. Police said the exact cause of the collapse is under investigation.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, six workers died and six others were injured when the roof of a private steel plant collapsed in the...
A standoff between taxi unions from Assam and Meghalaya has disrupted travel for hundreds of tourists at the Jorabat border near Guwahati. The confrontation began when the All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association (AKMTTA) initiated a blockade, preventing Assam-registered taxis from entering Meghalaya. The AKMTTA cited concerns over the livelihoods of local drivers, alleging that the influx of Assam-based taxis was adversely affecting their business.
In retaliation, Assam's Motor Parivan Sewakarmi Sanmilita Mancha organized a strike, halting vehicles from Meghalaya at key transit points, including Guwahati Railway Station, Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, and the...
The Assam Royal Global University (RGU) successfully hosted a two-day national conference on September 15–16 titled “Resilient Futures: Indian Knowledge Systems for Energy, Sustainability, and Climate Action.” In a significant step towards promoting regional languages in higher education, the entire event was conducted in Assamese.
The conference was inaugurated with a ceremonial lamp-lighting, where Chief Guest Dr. Hirak Ranjan Das, Innovation Manager, AICTE (NER), emphasized the relevance of indigenous knowledge in shaping sustainable futures. Coordinator Dr. Saswati Bordoloi noted that AICTE-VAANI seeks to revive Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) while giving voice to diverse...
DIMAPUR, September 13: Zigzak Technologies Pvt. Ltd., a rising technology start-up founded by filmmaker and tech enthusiast Mr. Lorence Kachari, is preparing to launch its flagship lifestyle application, Zigzak, next week. The company has described the initiative as a step towards transforming digital convenience in Nagaland, the North East and beyond.
The application is designed to function as an all-in-one service platform, bringing together facilities such as food delivery, grocery shopping, rides, medicines, parcel services and home services on a single interface.
The development of the app has been undertaken by a team of fifteen engineers and developers based in Hyderabad, under...
Indigenous leaders of Assam have strongly condemned what they described as "barbaric atrocities" by Assam Police on members of the Koch-Rajbanshi community at Golokganj in Dhubri district on September 10. They demanded an impartial judicial inquiry and strict action against the culprits, urging the state to ensure that such incidents are not repeated when communities raise their democratic rights.
At the same press conference, the leaders also expressed outrage over the detention of Bhanu Tatak — a young activist and legal advisor of the Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum — at Delhi’s international airport on September 7. Tatak, who had been invited to Dublin City University in Ireland for...
Mumbai: The never-say-die soul of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika enjoyed yet another acme of glory when millions of people across the globe remembered him on his birth centenary on 8th September. From Assam and Kolkata to the capital Delhi, from India’s downtown Mumbai to Bengaluru, the Bard of Brahmaputra came alive with his songs and rhymes.
On 8th September, renowned music therapist and performer Anubhuti Goswami, along with her husband and multi-instrumentalist Emon Goswami, presented a soulful tribute to the legend Dr. Bhupen Hazarika as part of the birth centenary celebrations in Kolkata.
The duo performed at the Assam Bhawan, organized by the Kolkata Assamese Cultural Association,...
Clashes broke out in Churachandpur district on Thursday evening, barely two days before the scheduled visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Manipur, throwing the administration into a state of heightened alert. The incident occurred near Peasonmun village, situated about five kilometres from the Churachandpur police station, when a group of unidentified persons allegedly attempted to damage decorations and arrangements being put up for the Prime Minister’s public engagement.
Police personnel who rushed to the spot were confronted by the miscreants, following which a scuffle ensued. Reports indicate that several properties suffered damage during the course of the incident. While...
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