Question

In 1979, AASU and the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP) began a series of protests across Assam. The educational institutions in the state remained shut for a long time. Periodic strikes at times turned violent. This was the start of a six-year agitation led by students.

Based on the above report, state any four reasons for the agitation.

Answer 1

1. The North East was aggrieved due to unfair treatment by the centre, e.g. evident in neglect of industries/lack of economic enterprises and/or even in the allocation of funds.
2. It was deprived of its revenue from crude oil, tea and plywood.
3. Marwaris and Bengalis were controlling Assam’s economy.
4. Labour forces were also largely non-Assamese, contributing to unemployment among Assamese youth.
5. There was a demand for better connectivity between the North East and the rest of India e.g. Bridges over Brahmaputra/railway upgradation/better road links.
6. Even before independence, there had been a large-scale migration from Bihar and Bengal into Assam.
7. From 1971 onward, refugees poured in from Bangladesh (East Pakistan).
8. Most returned after the creation of Bangladesh but almost a lakh stayed behind.
9. Peasant influx continued in search of land, triggering fear of land loss among Assamese peasants.
10. Demographic changes have generated cultural, linguistic and political insecurity.
11. To face the challenge of illegal migration from Bangladesh, in 1979 All Assam Students Union (AASU) and Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (Assamese Peoples Struggle) were organised.