GUWAHATI, May 7– The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) is planning to amend its constitution to extend the term of the executive bodies to two years from one year as the organisation has not been able to hold the annual elections on time for a long time. Talking to The Assam Tribune, AASU president Prabin Boro admitted that it is not feasible to hold the general conferences on time as an executive committee needs at least six months to one year to understand the issues properly. As per the constitution of the AASU, the term of an executive committee is one year and the term can be extended by six months by the general meeting and also by a meeting of the district presidents and general secretaries. But the AASU conferences are never held on time and the present executive is functioning since January, 2000. Boro said that the next general conference, scheduled to be held later this year at Moran, would take a decision on amending the constitution of the organisation to extend the tenure of executive committees.
Boro admitted that during his tenure also, the general conference of the students’ organisation could not be held on time, and the conference had to be postponed on several occasions because of various reasons. He said that the present executive body was holding talks with the ethnic groups including the Bodos for the creation of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) and the tripartite meetings on the implementation of the Assam Accord were also on. It would have been difficult for a new body to carry forward such discussions and under the circumstances, the tenure of the present executive had to be extended. He said that at the last moment, the conference had to be postponed again for the general elections.
Referring to the failure of the AASU to motivate the people of Assam to put pressure on the political parties to work on the key issues concerning the State, Boro said that before the last general elections, the AASU circulated an 18-point questionnaire for the political parties on the issues concerning Assam. He said that it is up to the people of Assam to decide on the replies given by the political parties and candidates while casting their votes.
The AASU president said that during his tenure, the AASU came closer to the students’ unions representing different ethnic groups. He said that the AASU held several rounds of discussions with the students’ unions of the ethnic groups and held joint programme on common issues. At one point of time, the ethnic groups lost faith on the AASU and “ we have been able to restore the faith to a great extent,” he added.
Reacting to Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Paban Singh Ghatowar’s allegation that the AASU is an anti-tea tribe force, Boro said that the AASU organised a joint movement with the Tea Tribes Students’ Association for increasing bonus for the tea labourers and even demanded land settlement for the ex-tea tribes. He alleged that Ghatowar himself failed to raise such issues forcefully.
Boro said that putting pressure on the State Government to formulate a proper academic calendar was another major achievement of the AASU. He said that AASU, in collaboration with prominent educationists, formulated an academic calendar and the Government, on principle, has agreed to implement the same.
The AASU president said that due to the pressure put by the organisation, the Central Government has accepted the demand for seat reservation for indigenous people in Assembly, Parliament and local bodies. But the percentage of seats to be kept reserved is yet to be determined. He said that the AASU managed to put pressure on the Central Government to release funds for sealing the Indo-Bangla border and to update the National Register of Citizens but the State Government failed to play its part in this regard.
Boro admitted that the AASU has not been able to mobilise the masses to put pressure on the Governments at Delhi and Dispur for the implementation of all the clauses of the Assam Accord. He said that the betrayal by former AASU leaders, who led the Assam movement, is a major hurdle for the present set of office bearers of the AASU in mobilising the masses of the State.