GUWAHATI: A new students’ body has been created in Assam. It has been named “Assam Chatra Samaj.” As per its declaration, this body will work as a ….coordination committee and its main intent is to carry forward the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) created from the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB). The body comprises representatives from the student community of various educational institutions of Assam and the same was declared at the Guwahati Press Club on 15th December last. A section of students of Cotton University, Guwahati have taken the lead to create this new students’ body. The elected convenors of the coordination committee are: Moon Bora, General Secretary of the Post Graduate Students’ Union, Gauhati University, Rahul Chetri, General Secretary of Dibrugarh University Students’ Union, Rahul Bordoloi, General Secretary of Cotton University Students’ Union, former General Secretaries of Cotton University, Pranjal Kalita and Hirokjyoti Bora and Anirban Goswami, General Secretary of Government Law College.
Future course of action
As its first event, the Samaj has planned for an ambitious students’ summit to be held on 18th December at the Gauhati University playground. The full-fledged committee is expected to be created during this summit. The Samaj is expecting participation from all educational institutions of Assam.
Will the ACJ be used as a tool to fulfil the political aspirations of its creators?
Is there a third force that is mobilizing students from all over Assam to gravitate towards this newly created student body? Without the internet to help information, this question naturally pops up as to how the new student body managed to get together from all over Assam to announce itself within 16th December. It is also a matter of discussion as to why students who are already affiliated to the existing student organisations should severe such ties and join this newly floated body. When the AASU-led protests are already gaining momentum, what was the need for another student body to be floated that could just dilute the situation especially when organisations like Assam Juba-Chatra Parishad, All Assam Motok Students’ Union and All Assam Silpi Samaj have already extended their support to AASU? These questions indeed create grounds that the new student body could well be used as a base to further political careers of its members.
Rahul Bordoloi issues clarification
Despite his name figuring in the coordination committee, Cotton University General Secretary called up this reporter in the late evening of 16th December to clarify his position vis-à-vis the newly created Asom Chatra Samaj. Bordoloi said, “What is required now is a unified protest by all the students under one umbrella. In this situation, I do subscribe to a new student body at this time. My name has figured erroneously in the coordination committee and I categorically state that I am not part of this new student body.”
