The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) has announced a series of programmes to focus on the need to immediately repeal the controversial Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act.The AASU’s move is also aimed at countering the Congress’ attempt to whip up a campaign to stall the Centre’s move to repeal the Act. AASU general secretary Amiya Bhuyan said the need of the hour was to explain to all political parties what harm the IMDT Act had done by standing in the way of detecting and deporting illegal infiltrators of Bangladesh from Assam.‘‘We welcome the Centre’s move to repeal the IMDT Act that has provided protection to lakhs of Bangladeshi infiltrators in Assam. But what is needed is a special joint session of Parliament so that no more time is lost,’’ Bhuyan said.The student body that had spearheaded an agitation for six years between 1979 and 1985 to press for detection and deportation of the Bangladeshi migrants from Assam, also announced that its units will bring out processions in all the district towns to highlight the need to repeal the Act.On May 20, the AASU will organise citizens’ meets in different districts to build public opinion in favour of repealing the Act, Bhuyan said, adding that all ‘‘right thinking people’’ should write to the Prime Minister and President in this regard.‘‘The people of Assam have sacrificed a lot to press the Government to expel the Bangladeshis. Though there has been inordinate delay on the part of the Centre to repeal, it is good that New Delhi has finally woken up to the problem,’’ AASU general secretary said.The AASU also demanded an updating of the National Register of Citizens, 1951, which would aid in ascertaining who is an infiltrator and who is not. The Foreigners Act should be immediately enforced in Assam instead of the IMDT Act, he added.Meanwhile, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is already in the capital to campaign in favour of retention of the Act, which his party views as necessary to safeguard the ‘‘genuine’’ Indian minorities from discrimination and persecution.Gogoi on Monday met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and other senior party leaders to inform them of the ‘‘ground realities’’ and the adverse impact the repeal of the Act would have on the minorities in Assam.The United Minorities Front (UMF), a breakaway faction of the Congress, has also sent a delegation of lawyers and political leaders to New Delhi to meet leaders of political parties and apprise them of the ‘‘dangers’’ of repealing the Act.‘‘The Congress is afraid its vote bank of Bangladeshi infiltrators will vanish once the IMDT Act is gone,’’ said senior BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Water Resources Bijoya Chakravarty.
