ASSAM Rebuffs Mamata’s Plot To Politicise NRC: CM Sonowal

ASSAM Chief  Minister  Sarbananda Sonowal has lashed  out at his  Bengal  counterpart Mamata Banerjee saying  her  statement that NRC is aimed at driving out Bengalis from the  north—eastern  state can result in a “a civil war” is made to polarize society. Appreciating the “restraint and patience” shown by the people of Assam after Mamata’s “inflammatory remarks” and her decision to send a delegation to Barak Valley after publication of the complete draft NRC, displayed “exemplary composure without falling prey to the divisive design of the external forces. Sonowal who was reacting to the statements  of  Bengal’s ruling supremo thanked  the people living  in the Bangla  speaking Barak Valley and Indigenous people dominated Brahmaputra  Valley for  rebuffing Mamata’s  efforts  to  drive a wedge between them. In a statement on Saturday he recalled that Assam and Bengal have shared harmonious relations for ages. The people of Assam are guided by the humanitarian and unifying philosophies of Bhupen Hazarika and Hemanga Biswas, stalwart of the IPA movement. “Scholar like Ashutosh Mukherjee helped introduce Assamese language in the University of Calcutta. Bhupen Hazarika, during his primetime of his career, spent his days at his Tollygunge residence in Calcutta and produced some of his immortal creations both in Assamese and Bengali. Even Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbaruah, strengthening the intrinsic relations, married Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s granddaughter Pragya Sundari. Therefore, being a chief minister of such a state which has its deep-rooted culture and traditions, Banerjee should not have made such baseless comments which have got communal undertones aimed at disturbing the strong relations between Assam and Bengal,” he said . The statement comes a day after two FIRs were lodged against Sonowal in Calcutta by a TMC delegation that was sent back from Silchar airport in Barak Valley after they were taken into “preventive detention” and prohibited from exiting Silchar airport on Thursday citing possible disruption of law and order. Mamata decided to send the delegation after the final draft NRC released on July 30 which has not included names of 40.07 lakh applicants as Indian citizens. Her remark on the NCR draft  has not  gone down  well  with  any community  in Assam. Many people say that the Bengal chief minister tried to disturb the peace and harmony between Assamese and Bengalis in the state.CM Sonowal said since the beginning of updating of the NRC  commenced under the supervision  of the  Supreme Court  of  India ,vested interests were “hell-bent” on destabilising the process by making remarks inimical to the age-old unity prevailing among the people of Barak and Brahmaputra valleys, hills and plains.”Assam is a land known for its unity since ages. People belonging to different castes, communities, creed and religion symbolise unity, which is unique. Though several attempts were made to disturb this unity, people of Assam showed resilience and reinforced the state’s unity”, Sonowal said.The NRC has been  updated  as per the 1985 tripartite agreement  and  in which The Registrar-General of India  played  a crucial  role. It is a document to safeguard the interest of the people of Assam. “It is a matter of pride and prestige for the people of the state to be a part of the updating of the NRC and witness the complete draft publication in an atmosphere of complete peace and rejoice. All genuine Indian citizens whose names did not feature in the draft, need not to be worried, as they would get ample opportunities to get their names enrolled through disposal of claims and objections,” said the Assam Chief.  Minister. Meanwhile, as many as five FIRs have been lodged in Assam against the Bengal CM for her stance on the NRC.