Assam Students Unite in Protest Against Mega Dams

AASU, allies to sit-in in Guwahati

AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya addresses a news conference in Guwahati on Tuesday.

Guwahati, Sep 22 : The All Assam Students Union and 25 other student organizations today decided to launch a massive agitation in protest against the alleged failure of New Delhi and Dispur to prevent construction of the Lower Subansiri hydroelectric project.

A two-day meeting of the student organisations, which ended here today, resolved to fight in a united manner to pressurise both the Union and the state governments to stop construction of all mega dams for power generation.

The meeting was attended by Sadou Asam Tribal Sangha, All Bodo Students Union, All Rabha Students Union, All Missing Students Union, All Assam Moran Students Union, Karbi Students Union and NC Hills Indigenous Forum and other groups.

It also resolved to carry out a sustained movement on the issues of updating the National Register of Citizens, 1951, and protection of rights of the indigenous people in the state.

AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya said even after an expert committee found that the proposed mega dam would have adverse impacts on aquatic life, ecology and people living in the downstream, the Centre and Dispur were not doing anything to stop construction of the dam.

“The expert committee included experts from Gauhati University, Dibrugarh University and IIT Guwahati. The AASU demand must not be seen or interpreted as anti-development as it is based on a detailed scientific study carried out by the expert committee. Since the government is not doing anything, the student organisations have been left with no other option but to launch a peaceful democratic movement till their demands are met,” Bhattacharyya said.

The organisations will stage a sit-in in Guwahati on September 30. They will launch a gana satyagraha across the state in November.

The meeting also resolved to carry out a journey, Sanghyati Yatra, to get close to the people in the state and create awareness about issues like construction of mega dams and updating of the NRC.