2014 BJP Manifesto | ‘False Promises, Lollipops’ for Assam

How much has the Modi government done for Assam?

BJP assured measures for constitutional, economic, social, and cultural safeguards for indigenous people of the State. But, How many of them have been fulfilled?

• In 2014, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) promised the voters of Assam to indentify and expel all illegal migrants staying in Assam.
• BJP promised to complete the work on updating National Register of Citizens (NRC) on war-footing, finish the work on barbed wire fencing along India-Bangladesh border, and increase deployment of Border Security Force personnel to four times.

Through the party manifesto, BJP assured measures for constitutional, economic, social, and cultural safeguards for indigenous people of the State.

1. Scheduled Tribe status: There is a proposal by the Centre to grant ST status to six communities in Assam, which is expected to boost their support in the state. The six communities are — Koch Rajbongshi, Chutia, Moran, Matak, Tai Ahom and Tea Tribes.
2. Refugees Notification: On September 7, 2015, the central government issued a notification under the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, and Foreigners Act, 1946, which stated that all Bangladeshis and Pakistanis who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, and who do not have proper documents or expired visas, can stay in India. The notification triggered huge protests from student and ethnic Assamese groups. This notification actually contradicts Modi's promise of stopping illegal immigration and solving the issue.
3. Implementation of Assam Accord: The Assam Accord, which was signed between the Rajiv Gandhi government and the All Assam Students Union post the six-year old Assam agitation in 1985, is a crucial factor. More than 30 years have passed but the accord's clauses have not been implemented.
4. Job Creation:  BJP promised to provide one crore jobs to the youth of the country if voted to power at the Centre.

Interestingly, The BJP Government is hatching a conspiracy against the indigenous Assamese community by introducing a new burden called 'Citizenship Amendment Bill' (CAB)– which is a patently communal Bill to frustrate the process of preparing the upgraded NRC.

On the big dams under construction and proposed in Arunachal Pradesh, the saffron party promised to arrange for political and expert-level discussions among the Centre, Arunachal Pradesh government, and Assam.

It also promised to take steps for declaring Assam's flood problem a national one.

The BJP government in Assam came to power promising to protect 'Jati', 'Mati', and 'Bheti' of Assam. But after coming to power, the party has made U-TURN on its promises.