Apart from keeping the state on the boil, the Citizenship(Amendment) Bill, 2016 has started dividing BJP, the ruling party even after the exit of its coalition partner. Nearly a dozen of party MLAs is believed to have been preparing to stand united against the Bill if the party leadership fails to read the writings on the wall. Talking to www.assamtimes.org, a senior party leader in Delhi said only a handful of party MLAs along with the ministers are unlikely to maintain studied silence. Nearly 25 MLAs are likely to come up openly against the Bill to put the government in a fix. “The number of aggrieved BJP legislators is increasing on every passing day. These legislators, mostly, are weighing option. They would need a couple of days to strategize the curse of action once they quit the party or speak up openly against the controversial Bill,” he said.
One after another ruling party leaders and legislators have spoken up against the Bill that promises Indian citizenship to the non Muslim neighbors ; Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
BJP MLA Rhituparna Baruah has openly spoken up against the Bill saying that the spirit of the Assam Accord, 1985 should be retained untouched which is not possible if the Bill in question is passed in Parliament. “We did Assam agitation for 6 years from 1979 till the signing of the Accord to detect and deport the immigrants. How we should allow the immigrants to get citizenship? This Bill should not be approved,” said Baruah.
Baruah, who is known for his close association with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal further said,” I think the sedition charge against Dr Hiren Gohain is a deliberate attempt to defame the chief minister Sonowal. This should not happen.”
Hours before him, Sootea MLA Padma Hazarika who migrated from AGP 3 years back said at a meeting that he would be with the Assam Accord, 1985 and that anything contradictory to the historic document should be brushed aside. “I was one of the agitator. I know. I am stick to the Assam Accord only. I am very plain and simple,” said Hazarika. Last week assembly Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami also opposed the Bill and said it was a hasty decision which might be quite contrary to what the people want. The first one BJP MLA to oppose it was Atul Bora, who has been dead opposed to the idea since inception.
Party spokesman Mehdi Alam Bora and already resigned from the party before CK Das, a retired bureaucrat put in his papers as secretary.
14 Mar 2016 - 12:25pm | Hantigiri Narzary
Three cadres of the NDFB(S) were arrested by security forces in a joint operation belonging to police and army at Hakata village under Barama PS in Baksa district on Sunday. The cadres were...
19 Dec 2015 - 1:53pm | Jayanta Kumar Das
Protesting against BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary's remark on ABSU chief Pramod Boro,the anchalik committee of Kalaigaon ABSU staged demonstration in front of Kalaigaon police station on...
5 May 2012 - 3:03pm | editor
A mild tremor jolted the entire upper Assam on Saturday creating panic among the people. The tremor shook Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Jorhat, Lakhimpur and Dhemaji district at 1.39 am. The...
27 Jun 2016 - 5:31pm | AT Kokrajhar Bureau
The Sadou Asom Goria Maria Desi Jatiya Parishad strongly reacted over the deprivation of Original Inhabitant (OI) and early demanded inclusion into OI status in the NRC update process across the...
A day after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma declared that he "will take sides" and "will not let Miya Muslims take over all of Assam," opposition leaders filed a police complaint on August 27 accusing him of promoting enmity between different religious and ethnic groups. The complaint was lodged at the Dispur police station by Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhupen Borah and Assam Jatiya Parishad's Lurinjyoti Gogoi, representing the United Opposition Forum, a coalition of groups opposed to the BJP and its allies.
The complaint, supported by Independent Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Bhuyan, Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia, and Congress...
During our school days, when the historic Assam agitation broke out, we used to go to Tihu town in western Assam for joining various protest demonstrations against the outsiders (read non-Assamese Indians) and the movement was initially known as ‘Bohiragata Kheda Andolan’ (literary meaning agitation to deport outsiders) to create a prosperous Assam for the indigenous population. Later it was redefined as the agitation against illegal migrants (read Bangladeshi/East Pakistani nationals) by the intellectuals and media barons in Guwahati, the virtual capital of northeast India. Simultaneously an armed movement also surfaced with an initial trigger from the economic domination of Hindi...
The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP), a prominent national social organization representing Gorkhas across India, has expressed its gratitude towards the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for issuing a notification that resolves the longstanding NRC Biometrics-Aadhaar linkage issue. This development is expected to bring relief to nearly 9.35 lakh individuals in Assam, including over one lakh Gorkhas who have been affected by the issue.
Nanda Kirati Dewan, the General Secretary of the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh, Assam State Committee, expressed appreciation for the MHA’s intervention. He noted that the BGP has been actively engaging with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)...
Guwahati: The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) has expressed serious concerns over the ongoing Meitei-Kuki-Zo ethnic conflict, which began on May 3, 2023. Despite maintaining a stance of neutrality, the NSCN has been closely monitoring developments and is alarmed by the increasing violence, particularly against Christians.
In a press statement released today, the NSCN highlighted a disturbing trend of harassment and physical assaults against Christians by the militant group Arambai Tengol. The NSCN identified the group's strong convictions and extreme principles as the driving forces behind its radical socio-political reforms.
"The violent extremism followed by Arambai...
Dibrugarh, Assam: In response to the devastating impacts of river erosion at Mohanaghat, Dibrugarh, the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS) has launched a comprehensive humanitarian assistance programme. The initiative aims to provide life-saving support to the most vulnerable and marginalized communities affected by this catastrophic event.
NEADS is taking proactive steps to address the urgent needs of those displaced by the river erosion, ensuring that aid is specifically tailored to meet the unique requirements of different genders within the affected populations. The interventions are multi-layered, encompassing critical areas such as Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (...
The Assam Don Bosco University (ADBU) successfully concluded a three-day workshop, "Swabalamban: Empowering Employment through Solar Energy," held from July 3rd to 5th, 2024, at its Azara campus. Conducted entirely in Assamese, the initiative aimed to enhance the employability of young people by equipping them with practical skills in solar energy technology and electrical house wiring.
This free workshop was organized by the university's School of Technology under their commitment to social empowerment and sponsored by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) under its VAANI scheme, which promotes the use of Indian languages in education.
Over the three days, 54...
Dibrugarh: The Seven-day Water Training Programme began at Dibrugarh University's Indira Miri Conference Hall on June 21, 2024. Organized by the Centre for Social Work Studies (CSWS), North-East India Water Talks (NEIWT), and NEADS, with support from the Heinrich Böll Stiftung - Delhi Regional Office, the event will run until June 27, 2024.
The programme commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Monuj Dutta, followed by a background speech by K. K. Chatradhara of NEIWT. The inaugural session featured the University Anthem performed by CSWS students.
Dibrugarh University's Vice Chancellor, Prof. Jiten Hazarika, inaugurated the training program. He emphasized the need for collaboration to...
Guwahati, June 2: Senior forest official Brahmananda Patiri, serving as the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Chirang division in Assam's Chirang district, passed away on Sunday, June 2, 2024. Patiri, who had been admitted to Nemcare Hospital in Guwahati on Saturday after experiencing health issues during a meeting, breathed his last this morning.
Patiri was a well-educated and widely read individual, known for his involvement in cultural and literary activities. His untimely demise has left a significant void in both the forestry sector and the cultural community.
People from various communities have extended their deep condolences and are mourning the loss of Patiri, who was...
Panaji: Come June 2, Sunday. A promising workshop on science and technology will fetch no less benefit for the tech-savvy school and college students in Panjim. Courtesy the Ham Radio. Just they need to participate actively June 2nd@Jambul Café, Panjim.
The much-awaited 2-hour workshop will take you away to a fascinating world of amateur radio, popularly known as Ham Radio. The topic of the workshop will range from radio waves operation to the see live streaming demonstrations apart from the handling of the real radio equipment.
According to the organizers here, it will open the flood gates for the technology-savvy people to get to know the first hand knowledge of the basics of Ham...
The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Assam Don Bosco University School of Technology organized a Career Counselling Seminar today.
Focus on future-proofing skills: The seminar, addressed by Mr. Partha Pratim Baruah, Founder and Director of Vidhi Analytica, an agri-tech startup based in Guwahati, emphasized the importance of an entrepreneurial mindset. Mr. Baruah encouraged students to develop skills for the future, comparing them to Lord Ganesha – with a keen sense of future trends (long nose) and a deep understanding of their surroundings (big ears).
Bridging the gap between academics and industry: Mr. Baruah stressed the need to connect classroom learning with...
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