Koch union calls bandh

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Dhubri, March 23: The All Koch Rajbongshi Students' Union (AKRSU) today called a 24-hour Assam bandh on April 2 in protest against the alleged conspiracy to brand people belonging to the community Bangladeshis. The union's allegation refers to the declaration of two women, Kalyani Barman and Jyotsna Barman, of Barpeta district as Bangladeshis, whereafter they were sent to the Indo-Bangladesh border at Mancachar in Dhubri district of Assam on March 21 to be pushed back. The two women, however, are yet to be pushed back and are still in the custody of police, a source at the passport checkpost (PPCP) in Mancachar said. "We have not got any documents relating to their push back to Bangladesh. When instructions with relevant papers reach us, we will contact the BSF commandant and push them back," he added. Both Kalyani and Jyotsna hail from Puthimari village in Patacharkuchi legislative constituency under Bajali subdivision of Barpeta district. Speaking to this correspondent over phone, Kalyani's husband Amulya Barman, who is camping at Mancachar, asked how his wife or Jyotsna could be Bangladeshi nationals when the names of their fathers appear in the voter list of 1965. A couple of months ago, the women were issued a notice by the border wing of police, asking them to submit documents proving they were genuine citizens. "We had submitted all the relevant documents to the border official of Patacharkuchi long ago. But on March 20, she received a letter without any memo number asking her to appear at the Patacharkuchi border office. When she went there, she was brought here (Mancachar) for push back," Barman said. Jyotsna was also brought to Mancachar on similar grounds, a source said. Her husband was running from pillar to post in Guwahati to file a writ petition in Gauhati High Court to review the women's case. Akrsu president Hitesh Barman said it was unfortunate that the Koch Rajbongshis were being harassed in the name of detection of Bangladeshis. "It is a matter of great humiliation that we, sons of the soil, are being branded Bangladeshis. We demand that the government bring back the two women to their village immediately and with dignity," he added. Assam Accord implementation minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he was not in the know about the matter but the women could certainly take legal recourse. "If we get an appeal or complaint, we will also look into it," he added. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120324/jsp/frontpage/story_15289506.jsp#.T23bg2ES3ko