GG News Bureau
Guwahati, 2nd Jan. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed on Sunday that the state is on a growth trajectory and urged Assamese to exert “moral pressure” on proscribed ULFA(I) chief Paresh Barua to abandon his demand for sovereignty.
Sarma told reporters on New Year’s Day that criteria other than population should be considered for future delimitation exercises, and that the state police is keeping a close eye on Islamic clerics’ involvement in jihadi activities.
According to the chief minister, Assam is on a growth trajectory after achieving significant financial stability in 2022 and, for the first time, not relying on the Centre to pay its employees’ salaries. This is due to increased oil royalty, excise, transportation, and GST collections.
“There has been an increase in tax collection and this symbolises vibrancy in the economy. This has been possible due to the cooperation by the people and different organisations, leading to a new growth trajectory,’ he said adding the state’s GDP growth at 13 per cent is an increase from the previous year’s 12.66 per cent.
Sarma said the people of the state will have to convince the ULFA(I) chief that history will not consider him (Barua) a betrayer if he gives up the demand for sovereignty.
“Our (government) efforts are on …We have kept the doors open … There are points of differences and also points of agreement. We should remain hopeful”, Sarma said.
The problem with moving the talks forward is that Barua insists on a sovereign Assam. “But I as the chief minister have taken oath on the Constitution to protect Assam’s sovereignty and integrity and I cannot retreat.
“At this stage there are irreconcilable differences. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the people, including intellectuals and different organisations, who must exert moral pressure to urge him to give up the demand for sovereignty’’, he said.
The chief minister stated that, as in other states, parliamentary and assembly seats will be delineated based on the 2001 census. However, he did not elaborate on the need for a debate in Parliament to include other criteria.
The last delimitation exercise in Assam was in 1976 on the basis of the 1971 census.
“According to the current law, population is the basis for delimitation but some communities have abided by population control policy while others have not. Those who have violated the policy are being rewarded and those who abided by it are being punished,” he said.
“But in the coming exercise we have to go by the current law which states that constituencies will be delimited on the basis of population matrix,” Sarma, who is a senior BJP leader of the Northeast said.
The chief minister stated that all teachers who have come from outside Assam to teach in the madrasas may be summoned to the nearest police station at regular intervals.
The police has busted eight modules of terrorist organisations Ansarul Bangla Team and Al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent during the just concluded year in which 51 people were arrested and direct involvement of nine Bangladeshis was detected for operating from some private madrasas, he said.
The police are coordinating with Bengali Muslims who have a positive attitude towards education to create a good environment in the madrasas where science and mathematics will be taught, right to education respected and a database of teachers maintained, he said.
Following the alleged involvement of Islamic clerics in ‘jihadi’ activities, the state police, he said, is working with Muslims in the state to rationalize madrasa education.
Sarma, who is also the state home minister, stated that the state’s tribal and adivasi insurgency ended in 2022 with the surrender of 7229 cadres from various outfits following an agreement with the central and state governments.
Assam police also seized drugs worth Rs 781 crore, one of the country’s largest hauls excluding sea, up from Rs 400 crore the previous year.
Comments are closed.