Assam JD(U) urges PM to take action on state killings

New Delhi, Aug 18 (UNI) Janta Dal (U)'s Assam unit president Dulal Chandra Barua has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take immediate action so that the indigenous pepole of lower Assam were not subjected to killings.

Mr Barua claimed that the Centre's apathy towards the north-eastern region and particularly towards Assam has resulted in demograrhic change which has virtualy resulted in the ousted son of the soil.

''We the people of Assam had great hope and aspirations on you since you represent the state in the upper House but to our dismay, you are a silent spectator towards the various burning issues of the state and the region," he said in a memorandum to the Prime Minister.

The people of Assam failed to understand why the Prime Minister, who represent the state, is adopting the double standard on holding peace talks with the militant group of Assam United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), while is holding a dialogue even on foreign soil with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland- Isak Muhiva (NSCN-IM). ''Any economic package will be of no use if peace cannot be restored in the region,'' he noted.

Mr Barua also noted that the Congress after coming to the power had appointed a task force on Assam and submitted report a long time back, but the report was yet to be made public. ''Our party demands the reports to be made public immediately,'' he demanded.

He regretted the Brahmaputra Development Board, which was formed a long time ago under the chairmanship of a Congress leader, has remained a ''indifferent body'' while the scope of work under this board is still not utilised.

UNI