In a significant development and for the first time, the authorities in Assam have taken strong action against the students’ organisations indulging in extortion and blackmailing the businessmen and business-establishments of the state.
Deputy commissioner of Dibrugarh Gynendra Tripathy threatened strong action against all the nine students organisations following the Dibrugarh Traders’ Association lodging a written complain accusing All Assam Students Union and the other students organisations of extortion and black mailing businessmen and business establishments of the district.
Mr Tripathy, an IAS of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, told this newspaper, “We have been getting a lot complaint of this nature from business houses and business establishments, so this time we have decided to go against them. First the administration has issued warning to the students organisations to desist from such activities.”
He said, “If necessary the administration will not hesitate in black-listing these students organisations.”
The Dibrugarh district administration has already named the students organisations —All Assam Students Union, National Students Union of India, All Assam Sonowal Kachari Students’ Union, Hindu Yuba Chatra Parishad, All Assam Muttock Students’ Union, All Tai Ahom Student’s Union, All Assam Tea tribes Students’ Association and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad, which were found to have been carrying out extortion from businessmen and business-establishments of the area.
The traders and business establishments of the state are already reeling under the extortion of militant organisations. Security sources said that such steps were necessary as many of the big industrial houses had also sought the intervention of the state administration in tackling the growing habit of extortion in the state.
Assam industry minister Pradyut Bordoloi had also called for an effective policing against the mushrooming growth of self-proclaimed human rights.