AASU to protest against Assam govt's directive on Foreigners Tribunals

Guwahati, Aug 7 The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) has announced a statewide protest on Friday against the state government's recent decision to withdraw Foreigners Tribunal (FT) cases against non-Muslim undocumented migrants, an official statement from the student body said on Thursday.

As part of the protest, the student body will burn copies of the official directive across all district headquarters, demanding its immediate rollback and the exclusion of Assam from the ambit of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The protest comes in response to a directive issued by the state's Home and Political Department following a high-level meeting chaired by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on July 17.

The order instructs FTs not to proceed with cases involving Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Parsis, who entered India before December 31, 2014 -- aligning with the Union government's March 2024 notification of the long-delayed CAA rules.

AASU leadership strongly criticised the move, calling it a violation of both the Assam Accord and the secular fabric of the Indian Constitution.

"Assam is not a dumping ground for illegal Bangladeshis. This selective exemption based on religion is unconstitutional and unacceptable," said AASU President Utpal Sarma and General Secretary Samiran Phukan in a joint statement.

The student body has reiterated its longstanding position that all undocumented migrants, regardless of religion, who entered Assam after the March 24, 1971, cut-off date must be identified and deported in accordance with the Assam Accord.

AASU also asked why Assam is being made to bear the burden of the CAA when most other Northeastern states have been exempted from its provisions.

"This is a direct threat to the identity and rights of Assam's indigenous people," the statement added, warning that further agitations may follow if the directive is not revoked.

Meanwhile, the state government's internal communication also reportedly "encourages and supports" affected individuals from the six religious groups to apply for Indian citizenship under CAA.

The district administrations have been asked to monitor compliance and submit action-taken reports.

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