The controversial move in Jammu and Kashmir for greater autonomy is fanningsimilar sentiments among a number of radical student groups in Assam, whoare now trying to get political groups from other parts of the country on acommon platform. The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) of Assamand the All India Sikh Students' Federation (AISSF) of Punjab have cometogether to form the National Campaign Committee for Autonomy (NCCA) tospearhead a joint movement for greater autonomy. The National Conference hasextended its support to the campaign and said that it will attempt to ropein Tamil Nadu's DMK, the Telegu Desam Party and the Asom Gana Parishad(AGP), which is ruling in Assam, to join the grouping."After independence, there has been unrest, turmoil, extremism and a growingsense of alienation in all the small Indian states, including the entirenortheastern region. It is time to ponder the issue of autonomy," AJYCPgeneral secretary Apurba Bhattacharyya said. The NCCA will hold a nationalconference on autonomy in Chandigarh in December to be followed by anotherin Jammu. Similar conclaves will be organised in south India and in theseven northeastern states. A number of political parties have said they willjoin the NCCA after the winter session of Parliament, Bhattacharyya said.
"The Central government has given enough evidence of onerous centralisationwith the result that backward regions feel cheated, disillusioned and thusalienated in all matters," AJYCP president Dilip Patgiri said. "The Centre'sfailure to recognise demands for the right to self-determination of ethniccommunities will eventually lead to separatist or secessionist demands," hesaid. The Jammu and Kashmir state assembly adopted a resolution in Junecalling for greater autonomy, and now some of India's seven northeasternstates are seriously thinking of following suit. Jammu and Kashmir'sautonomy resolution, however, was summarily rejected by the Centralgovernment. Assam chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said the aspirationsof people in small states could only be fulfilled with a degree ofself-rule, rather than continuing with the present quasi-federalframework.
"The Central government should hold a debate on the autonomy resolutionmoved by Kashmir and it should try and work out a meaningful package insteadof just rejecting it outright," Mahanta said. "Autonomy is a must for theall-round development of states, besides catering to the needs of commonpeople, their identity, and other aspirations," he said. The ruling AsomGana Parishad (AGP) moved a resolution seeking greater autonomy in its partyforum in 1988, although the idea was never seriously discussed. Assam, likeJammu and Kashmir and several other states in the northeastern region, haslived with a long-running separatist insurgency. And like their Kashmiricounterparts, many politicians in the northeastern states argue that genuineautonomy is the only way forward to finally ending the extremist violence.
(India Abroad News Service)
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