Twist in the east

The Sarbananda Sonowal government is comfortably placed to retain power, but a grand alliance by the opposition could upset its best-laid plans

- RABI BANERJEE

Even as millions of refugees in West Bengal await the speedy implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Narendra Modi government appears to be in no hurry, possibly keeping in mind the implications of the move will have on neighboring Assam. Assembly polls are due in both states, and opposition to the Act is growing in Assam, especially against the provision of legalizing encroachments by refugees.

Lakhs of Bengali refugees, mostly from the Matua community, have sought an urgent meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding the speedy implementation of the CAA, which was passed by Parliament two years ago. “My supporters would decide the future course of action if the CAA is not implemented immediately,” said Shantanu Thakur, a BJP MP who belongs to the community. Shah sent his crisis manager, Mukul Roy, to Thakur’s house in North 24 Parganas to mollify the angry leader.

In Assam on the other hand, Shah is being forced to deal with the growing demand to scrap the Act. The powerful All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) has launched a new political party, the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), which plans to contest the assembly elections against the alliance of the BJP and AGP (Asom Gana Parishad). The AGP was formed 35 years ago by AASU leaders, following the historic Assam Accord. It has given Assam several prominent leaders including its youngest chief minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, and Sarbananda Sonowal, the incumbent chief minister who is now with the BJP.