GUWAHATI: Assam's anti-influx group Prabajan Virodhi Mancha (PVM) would contest the coming general election with the aim to help conserve the rights of the indigenous people. This was announced by PVM convenor and senior advocate Upamanyu Hazarika on Wednesday, February 20.
“If the government fails to pass legislation for reserving land, employment for the indigenous people, re-verification of the updation process of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and also if the government is unable to stop infiltration, the Mancha will be bound to contest the elections,” Hazarika said while addressing the media persons in Guwahati.
The group stated that no government - whether now or in the past - has taken up their cause. Frustrated by the negligence of the government, they have now decided to enter the political arena.
However, the group has not yet christened itself as a political party but it has threatened that if within a week the government does not respond to its long-standing demands of preserving the rights of the indigenous people of the state over land, employment, and natural resources, it would be forced to launch itself as a political party.
Upamanyu Hazarika came down heavily on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party saying, "Within two and a half years, BJP has turned into an anti-indigenous party by bringing in the Citizenship Amendment Bill. The people of Assam have been very patient. We waited for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to throw out the Bangladeshis as he had promised in 2014 but now the BJP government is saying they want to bring in Bangladeshi Hindus to protect our land, language, and culture.”
"There is no party to represent the interests of the indigenous people today and the parties either represent the interests of the illegal Bangladeshi Muslims or Bangladeshi Hindus," Hazarika added.
