DIBRUGARH, May 12 – Litterateur, Narayan Ghatowar, who is also an important functionary of the AASU-sponsored Asom Unnati Sabha has said that he is pained by the “unnecessary political debate on whether the tea labourers of the State are Assamese or not.” Speaking to The Assam Tribune here today, he said that it is universally understood that Assam’s tea labourer community is an intrinsic part of the Assamese society, and regretted that Congress leader Paban Singh Ghatowar has raked up an uncalled for controversy by asking if he is an Assamese or not.
“Paban Singh Ghatowar is an important member of the Assamese community, and this is precisely why he is holding senior positions within the Congress and the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha, apart from being voted MP for four terms by the electorate of Dibrugarh,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Dibrugarh district unit of AASU on Saturday stoutly denied reports that the students unit ever asked anyone to vote for Sarbananda Sonowal just because he is a native. “AASU has lent support to candidates who have responded favourably to its 18-point questionnaire, but we have never canvassed for anyone,” said Bikul Deka, AASU information secretary. He said AASU has never named Paban Singh Ghatowar in derogatory terms, and we respect the positions he has held.
“In fact, we have publicly felicitated Ghatowar at a recent AASU-sponsored meeting on the gas cracker project at Dibrugarh, hence it is preposterous for anyone to say that AASU has alienated Ghatowar and the tea labourer community from the Assamese society,” Deka added.