GUWAHATI, May 21 ? There was a time during the Assam movement when people of Assam left that the All Assam Students? Union (AASU) could do no wrong, but now its image is under a scanner and the organisation is facing allegations like the same set of leaders holding on to their posts for years, failure to deal properly with the problems of the students etc. It is a fact that not many new faces are coming up to take the leadership of the AASU, the biggest students? organisation of the State and the organisation also failed to hold its annual conferences regularly to elect new executive bodies. As per its constitution, the AASU general conference to elect a new executive body, should be held every year, but the present executive body was elected way back in January, 1999 and till date the ?annual conference? is not held. The general conference of the AASU, scheduled to be held in Sivasagar from May 20 has also been postponed for an indefinite period.
AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya admitted the failure to hold the general conference on time and said that the conference, scheduled to be held from May 20 had to be postponed due to the Dibrugarh University examinations. He also admitted that one year is too short a time for a set of office bearers to take a grip on the organisation to carry forward the organisation?s tasks. The general house of the AASU can also give extension to executive body. He claimed that new faces are inducted regularly in the district committees and about fifty percent of the members of the executive bodies are fresh faces. Though Sri Bhattacharya claimed that no one, who is not a student, can be a member of the AASU, it is a fact that quite a few AASU members get themselves admitted in one course or the other to hold on to their positions in the AASU and this happens, perhaps because of the failure of the leaders of the organisation to groom new faces to take over the leadership.
A common allegation against the AASU is that the leaders of the organisation are using the organisation as stepping stone towards active politics. Sri Bhattacharya admitted that quite a few AASU leaders joined active politics after they left the organisation but not all AASU leaders joined politics. He said that a section of people of the State lost faith on the AASU because the AGP, formed by the then leadership of the AASU after the signing of the Assam Accord in 1985, betrayed the people, not once but twice. ?Now it is upto the present leadership of the AASU to work with dedication to regain the confidence of the people. The AASU still enjoys the support and best wishes of the people of Assam and that is why the people are angry whenever the AASU makes a mistake,? he added.
The AASU adviser pointed out that though the AGP betrayed the people of Assam, the AASU never gave up its demand for solution of the problems of infiltration of foreigners through implementation of all the clauses of the Assam Accord. He said that due to consistent demands of the AASU, the Central Cabinet was forced to take a decision to repeal the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act and now the AASU is mobilising public opinion to put pressure on the centre to convene a joint session of the Parliament to repeal the Act. Criticising the political parties, he pointed out that the political parties were harping on the failure of different departments of the present Government to deliver the goods in two years, but all the parties were silent on the failure of the Assam Accord implementation department. He said that Congress and the Left parties always take the side of the Bangladeshi nationals, the AGP raises the issue only when the party is not in power and the BJP raises the issue only before elections. Only the AASU is keeping the issue of influx alive all throughout in the interest of protecting the identity of the indigenous people of Assam, he asserted.
Another common allegation against the AASU is that the organisation focuses mainly on political issues and fails to do justice on the issues concerning the students. But Sri Bhattacharya refuted the allegation and said that over the years, the AASU has been putting pressure on the Government for the solution of the problems of the students. He said that the AASU is preparing a draft academic policy in consultation with prominent educationists. Due to the failure of the Government to prepare an academic calendar, the AASU has formed a committee to hold talks with all concerned including teachers? organisations to prepare a draft academic calendar and the same would be submitted to the Government to make its task easier. The AASU has also been strongly raising issues like the failure of the Government to provide text books on time, and demanding formation of school management committees only with educationists and prominent persons, he added. He also said that despite demands by the AASU, the State Government failed to do the needful for improving the condition of the Assamese medium schools and to bring in changes in curriculum.
The AASU adviser said that the Education Department failed to provide computer education facilities to all students, but the AASU is doing the same and the computer education centres set up by the organisation are providing computer education to the students all over the State at affordable rates. Commenting on the allegation that the AASU failed to represent all the ethnic groups of the State, Sri Bhattacharya said that students belonging to all ethnic groups and religions are members of the AASU. He said that despite ideological differences, the AASU is maintaining cordial relations with the students? organisations representing different ethnic groups and ?we also work together on common issues.?