Assamese forum launched to protect their identity

GUWAHATI, August 14: The forum for protecting the identity of the people of Assam in its meeting held on August 6 last resolved to launch a vigorous and sustained mass movement against the notorious IMDT Act and to create national public opinion for early solution of the problems faced by the Assamese community, stated a press release. The executive committee of the forum styled as the Asom Astitwa Suraksha Manch in its meeting also called upon the people of Assam to boycott socially and politically all those individuals and political parties and organizations holding brief for the unjust IMDT Act. The meeting held under the presidentship of D.N. Chakravarty discussed the draft constitution of the manch and constituted a number of committees to formulate guidelines, and to draw up strategy of action to fight against infiltration of foreigners, wanton destruction of forests, unjust claims on Assam's land by some of the neighbouring states and rampant corruption in different administrative and development departments of the Government of Assam in general, and the APSC in particular, in order to ensure the advent of a congenial atmosphere in the state, conducive to the security and prosperity of the Assamese community. The Asom Astitwa Suraksha Manch was set up last month at a convention held at the District Library, under the presidentship of senior journalist, DN Chakravarty. A 31-member executive committee was constituted in the convention with DN Chakravarty as president, Mridul Sarma as working president and Bhaskar Das as the general secretary. The convention was attended by over 500 representatives drawn from the different districts and belonging to various political affiliations. The manch has decided to organize a two-day workshop here on September 23 and 24 next with a view to drawing up a strategy to organize the indigenous communities of the state against all fissiparous forces and to build a solid movement to frustrate the designs of inimical forces both within the state or from outside. The manch also made an appeal to the press to uphold the genuine cause of the people of Assam, added the release.