Question

Explain any four important causes for the Assam agitation.

Answer 1

Some of the leading causes for the agitation in Assam were:

1. The North East was disappointed by the Center's inequitable treatment, which was demonstrated by the lack of regard for industries, lack of business ventures, and even the distribution of financial resources. Even its earnings from tea, plywood, and crude oil were removed. The state of Assam lost a great deal of its revenue.
2. The Bengalis and Marwaris were in charge of Assam's economy. Most workers in the labour force were not Assamese, contributing to the rising youth unemployment rate in the region.
3. Large-scale migration from Bihar and Bengal into Assam took place even before independence, and starting in 1971, a flood of refugees from Bangladesh (East Pakistan) entered the state. After Bangladesh was established, most of them left, but nearly a lakh survived.
4. The arrival of non-Assamese farmers caused the Assamese peasants to fear losing their land. Several population shifts have also resulted in political, linguistic, and cultural instability.
5. The All Assam Students Union (AASU) and the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (Assamese Peoples Struggle) were established in 1979 to tackle the issue of legal migration.
6. The State Legislative Assembly held elections in 1983. Large-scale participation was evident; 98% of Assamese eligible voters stayed from the polls. But even though Congress established the government, it was undemocratic.