ANS concerned over proposed relocation of Chakma-Hajong refugees to Assam

GUWAHATI: The Axom Nagarik Samaj (ANS) has expressed concern over the proposed relocation of Chakma and Hajong refugees from Arunachal Pradesh to Assam.

ANS president and Rajya Sabha MP from Assam - Ajit Kumar Bhuyan - and general secretary Paresh Malakar have voiced concern over union minister Kiren Rijiju’s recent comments regarding resettlement of approximately “five lakh” Chakma and Hajong refugees in Assam.

In a statement, the ANS leaders claimed that Rijiju’s remarks ‘validated’ the apprehensions expressed by the people of Assam ever since the enactment of the citizenship amendment act (CAA), “which they fear will transform Assam into a haven for foreigners”.

“The people of Assam have been protesting against the unconstitutional, anti-Assam Accord and anti-Assam CAA for a long time and have been saying that the Act will pave the way for the entry of new foreigners into Assam,” ANS leaders Ajit Kumar Bhuyan and Paresh Malakar said in a statement.

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According to the statement, Rijiju’s proposal exemplifies the central government’s alleged conspiracy to undermine the future of indigenous communities of Assam.

Bhuyan and Malakar also criticized the perceived ambivalence of the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government regarding this matter.

They accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Assam government of being complicit in sacrificing the state’s future to safeguard its political interests.

Issuing a call to action, the leaders urged all political parties and organizations in Assam to vehemently oppose the central government's policies, which they deem anti-Assam, anti-Assamese, and anti-indigenous.

They affirmed Axom Nagarik Samaj's commitment to participating in such protests and defending the interests of Assam's citizens and indigenous communities.