Assam cabinet to seek policy for granting asylum to persons who have fled country

GUWAHATI: Sparking off a controversy, Assam cabinet on Wednesday has decided to move Government of India to frame a policy for granting asylum to the persons who have fled religious persecution and discrimination and taken refuge in India during partition.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had submitted a memorandum to the then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on April 20, 2012, pleading that Indian citizens who had to flee due to religious persecution and discrimination at the time of partition should not be treated as foreigners on humanitarian grounds.

It had sought refugee status for those foreigners who have come to India from Bangladesh under compulsion .

Political analyst observed that this move is aimed at wooing the Hindu Bengali voters ahead of assembly polls of 2016. Hindu Bengali voters have traditionally supported BJP.

“With this congress government has lobbed the ball in Centre’s court as Prime minister, Narendra Modi during electioneering had said those Hindu refugees who have come to India from Bangladesh owing to atrocities and persecution must be accepted as Hindu cannot go any other country,” analysts said.

Gogoi had played the refugee card and announced that he will seek refugee status for those people who have come to India from Bangladesh owing to various persecutions prior to last assembly polls. This card has yielded results for congress in assembly polls in 2011.

Organizations and political parties have denounced the government’s move. Student body, All Assam Students Union (Aasu) termed the cabinet decision as self-destructive.

Aasu adviser, Samujjal Bhattacharya added, “Our stand is clear those who have come after March 25 1971 has to go. We have accepted the burden in past however now small state like Assam cannot be made to accept the burden of the refugee.”

Peasant Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) has threatened to launch mass movement against the government’s decision. KMSS stated this move is illegal.