AASU moves Vice-President against Delimitation Commission

Guwahati, Jun 11 (UNI) Ahead of the delimitation commission's public hearing, the AASU today reiterated its demand that the delimitation exercise be put on hold before the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is updated.

A delegation of the student body today called on Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and chairman of the delimitation commission Justice (retd) Kuldip Singh in New Delhi and told them the exercise would pose a threat to the indigenous people of Asom.

Speaking to UNI over pone from New Delhi, All Asom Students Union general secretary Tapan Gogoi said the Vice-President has assured to take up the matter with the Union Government.

"The Vice-President expressed his solidarity to the demand, saying he is for the welfare and security of the Assamese people," Mr Gogoi quoting Mr Shekhawat as saying.

Justice Singh also assured to place the demand before the Union government.

The declaration of the draft proposal of the delimitation has triggered widespread protests across the state, with strikes and blockades bringing life to a standstill in several parts.

The non-update of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), raised by the AASU, became the most important issue, with all fearing that the delimitation will give citizen status to the illegal settlers in the state.

While the Delimitation Commission is insisting on completing the delimitation process by July, opposition is mounting against the process among different quarters in the state. All the political parties, including the Congress legislators who are associate members of the Commission, have rejected the delimitation suggested by the draft proposal.

All the ten associate members of Asom announced their dissociation from the exercise last week, alleging that the Commission had failed to keep with the aspirations of the Assamese people.

The delimitation commission is scheduled to conduct public hearings in Asom on June 15-18 UNI