By Nurul Islam Laskar, MM News,
GUWAHATI, MAY 9: A group of NRIs in USA, many of them being of Assam origin, met the officials at the Embassy of India at 2107 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington DC on Thursday last to submit a memorandum expressing their concern over the recent happenings in the BTAD area of Assam and requested the Embassy to forward the same to the President of India urging the latter for immediate action for restoring normalcy in the region. Most of the signatories of the memorandum knew each other through the connections of education (either classmate, seniors, juniors in schools, colleges, and universities) and those who are of Assam origin know each other as most of them are either neighbours or belong to the same area.
Among those who met the Embassy officials were Dr Mustafa Barbhuiya (Baltimore), Rishi Agarwal (Sterling), and Sushil Tiwari (Reston). There were students, research scientists, and professionals of Indian origin now living across the USA among the signatories of the memorandum.
The signatories apprised the Embassy officials of their concern which they stated was based on the live media reports in print and electronic media and above all, phone calls from their relatives and friends about the panic that had gripped the folks back home. Through the Embassy, they urged the President of India for urgent action to contain the continued violence in Assam.
Among other things, the memorandum recommended review of the BTC with immediate effect; action against persons making provocative speeches and indulging in illegal use of firearms; seizure of all legal and illegal arms from the BTAD area; and urgent and appropriate steps for the immediate relief, rehabilitation of the victims.
Importantly, through the Memorandum the group also strongly demanded that the Government implement the ‘Panchayati Raj’ in place in BTAD and immediately to empower local people of the area after reviewing the Bodoland Territorial Council Accord.
This was conveyed in a communiqué sent by Dr Mustafa Barbhuiya, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore.
