Rajya Sabha member Ajit Kumar Bhuiyan has clarified that the citizens’ meeting held in Guwahati on August 24 had nothing to do with the controversial statement of former Planning Commission member Syeda Hamid. Bhuiyan said that the team of Prashant Bhushan, Jawahar Sircar, Harsh Mander and Syeda Hamid was visiting Assam independently and was not invited by anyone. The team was initially stopped from going to Goalpara, after which they visited two-three other places in the state. According to Bhuiyan, the citizens’ dialogue was organized only because Prashant Bhushan had expressed his desire to interact with the public.
Controversial statement creates stir in Assam
Bhuiyan said that all the guests expressed their views in the Guwahati meeting, but the stir that erupted in the whole of Assam was only due to a statement by Syeda Hamid. He clarified that the organizers cannot be held responsible for the discussions held within the meeting and the personal opinions expressed later outside. He said that the meeting mainly discussed the Assam Accord and considering 1971 as the base year, and everyone agreed on this issue. Bhuiyan said, “The responsibility of any statement lies with the person who made the statement. Linking it to the organizers of the meeting or the rest of the participants is unfortunate and misleading.”
Reaction of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
Reacting to this controversy, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma questioned Hamid’s statement. He said, “Who called this woman? If calling was wrong, did Ajit Bhuiyan apologize? BJP cannot be blamed because the woman herself is not denying her statement. He said that even if the people are Bangladeshis, they should be settled.” Chief Minister Sarma warned during an election rally in Parbatjhora of Kokrajhar that “whoever supports such people will be the first to be taken action against.” He also reiterated that the campaign against illegal occupiers will continue in Assam.
Organisers’ clarification and way forward
The organisers insisted that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the Assam Accord and the base year of 1971, and this is an undisputed issue for everyone. Bhuiyan said that no ‘celebrity’ was specially invited, but those who came came to understand the situation in Assam themselves. He clarified that Syeda Hamid’s statement was her personal opinion, and it is inappropriate to link it to the dignity or purpose of the meeting. At the same time, this statement has sparked a new debate in Assam politics, in which both the government and the opposition are trying to strengthen their respective positions. This controversy has once again brought sensitive issues like citizenship and migration in Assam to the center of national discourse.
