PPFA endorses 1951 as cut-off year

As the debate over the cut-off date/year for deportation of illegal Bangladeshi migrants from Assam (India) gains momentum, a patriotic forum comes out with the support for 1951 as the base year. However, the Patriotic People’s Front Assam (PPFA) reaffirms that it would abide by the guidelines of the Supreme Court as the matter is still in the apex court’s jurisdiction.

It may noted that the accord, which was signed after six years long Assam movement to deport all illegal migrants from Bangladesh, agreed to grant citizenship to the Bangladeshi nationals who entered Assam before 25 March 1971, even though the movement was materialized with the target of 1951.Need not to mention that few million Bangladeshi people entered Assam during 1951 to 1971 and they are waiting for constitutional rights to stay in the country as legal/permanent residents.

Since the days of Assam accord, Assam Sanmilita Mahasanga (ASM) continues raising voices for 1951 as the bottom year, which was later supported by Assam Public Works (APW), Assam Sahitya Sabha, All Assam Ahom Association, Indigenous Tribal People’s Front (ITPF), Purbotar Hindustani Sanmelan, Prabrajan Virodhi Manch etc.

All Assam Students Union (AASU) and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) maintain their stand in favour of 25 March 1971 as the cut-off date for identification and deportation of illegal migrants under the provisions of the historic accord. Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind’s Assam unit along with the AIUDF and Congress supports the same year of 1971. “We can understand that for some specific reasons the accord was signed with the base year of 1971. But we must not forget that all the Assam movement martyrs starting the list of Khargeswar Talukder sacrificed their lives for 1951. So respecting those martyrs the base year should be advanced without changing other clauses of the accord,” said a statement issued by PPFA.

The forum, of course, reiterated that it will obey the verdict of the Supreme Court in this respect and stated that the base year controversy should be resolved forever so that various anti-national elements do harm to the national cause of the country. Issued by Rupam Barua, Nava Thakuria, Jagadindra Raichoudhury, Ujjal Saikia etc for PPFA.