3 Gogois Rattle BJP as Delimitation Draft Sparks Protests Across Assam

The release of the draft for delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary seats in Assam by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on June 20 sent ripples of dissatisfaction among the state’s different communities.

Though the number of Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies are unaltered at 126 and 14, respectively,

30 current Assembly constituencies don’t exist and 26 new constituencies have been created.

Soon, the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government faced the united protest of the 3Gs (Gogois), representing different political streams, against the draft.

At a protest meeting against the draft in Amguri, Sivasagar district, early this month, Congress Kaliabor Lok Sabha member Gaurav Gogoi, Sivasagar independent MLA Akhil Gogoi and AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi appeared hand in hand, triggering frivolous comments by some state BJP leaders, including Cabinet ministers Ranjit Kumar Dass and Pijush Hazarika.

The protest meeting, comprising 12 opposition parties, including the CPI and CPI(M), appeared to have disturbed the BJP, especially in Upper Assam. BJP leaders commented, “Even if 100 Gogois come together, they can’t defeat the BJP”. Even Sarma made adverse comments.

The BJP wants to convince people that the united Opposition protest against delimitation will not affect the party’s position in Assam.

On the other hand, the BJP’s damage mitigation measures also showed that it doesn’t want to lose Ahom votes. The Ahom community, a prominent force in Upper Assam politics, is angry with the vanishing of Amguri and Lahowal Assembly constituencies and redrawing the Sivasagar constituency.

Later, Dass issued a general apology for his comments, according to local media reports. Even, a few proposals have been announced to satisfy Ahom voters. 

The delimitation protest has spread to other districts. Muslims, especially those of Bengal-origin, are disturbed with the draft proposal.

Delimitation in Assam

Delimitation in Assam has been controversial. The Delimitation Act was passed in 2002 based on the 2001 Census.

The 2002 delimitation was opposed in unison by various regional organisations, civil societies and political parties in Assam. Protests on the street also reverberated inside the Assembly and a resolution was passed not to continue the exercise. Then-Speaker Tanka Bahadur Rai sent a letter based on the all-party resolution taken on May 11, 2007, to the Delimitation Commission chairman urged not to continue with the exercise.

The point of disagreement was that without upgrading the National Register of Citizens (NRC), delimitation of constituencies was meaningless. But as the NRC upgradation also started at that time, a consensus was built that delimitation should be done later. Thus, delimitation of Assam wasn’t done in 2007-08.

The question is if the BJP and All Assam Students’ Union were the main opposers of delimitation in 2002-2008, why they aren’t protesting now, especially when the latest draft is also based on the 2001 Census and the NRC to has not been upgraded.

Muslims, Other Sections Apprehensive too

The Muslim community fears losing its representation as some constituencies have been redrawn and some others vanished.

For example, the Muslims are 78% of Barpeta’s population. The district had eight Assembly constituencies but the draft proposes reducing them to six. Similarly, the draft proposes reducing one seat each in the Muslim-majority districts of Karimganj and Hailakandi, in the Barak Valley.

All Bodo Minority Students’ Union (ABMSU) president Ashraful Islam told Newsclick, “The ABMSU has opposed the draft delimitation proposals. Muslims in Assam fear they will be deprived of rights as the numbers of constituencies will be reduced. This will weaken our representation.”

If the delimitation in the entire country will be done after 2026, why the “hurry in Assam?”, he asked. “We fear the ruling party has vested interests,” he added.

“Delimitation is carried out through a delimitation commission. Why has the ECI taken the responsibility? Is it under the BJP’s influence or remains independent?” he asked.

Islam said that the case is not limited to the Gogois or the Ahoms. “Assam is a language-based state, not religion. We all are Assamese and there are Gogois, Borgohains, Kalitas, Alis, Hussains, etc. All of us are Assamese on the basis of the language.”

Notably, delimitation has also caused a vertical split in the All Tai Ahom Student Union (ATASU), a prominent Ahom organisation.

Alleging that a section of ATASU’s central committee is mum over delimitation, 33 area committees in the Sivasagar district have formed an independent committee.

“The Amguri and Lahowal Assembly constituencies have vanished. The Amguri seat has 51% Ahom voters is a decisive factor in elections. Similarly, the Lahowal seat. Why the government is so afraid of the community?” Sumit Handique, the joint general secretary of the independent committee, told Newsclick.

He added that the committee has already submitted a memorandum to the ECI. “Delimitation in Assam is actually sub judice. Why has it been done in this way—that too based on the 2001 Census?”

Sarma has time and again told that delimitation will protect Assam’s indigenous people.

On the indigenous card played by Sarma, Handique said, “If the government is interested in protecting the indigenous people, why it doesn’t implement Article 6 of the Assam Accord? Where is the process of giving ST status to six communities? And why Assam hasn’t been declared a tribal state? Delimitation aims to fulfil the political wish of Sarma and his company.”

On the other hand, the case of Bhawanipur constituency, in Lower Assam (Barpeta district now, Bajali earlier) is different.

Protests erupted on Tuesday. All India Students’ Association leader Subrat Talukdar, from Bhawanipur, told Newsclick, “The state government sent a letter to the ECI proposing to change Bhawanipur’s name to Bornagar on July 10. The draft was open for public comments only till July 11.”

He asked why has it been done now? “Bhawanipur’s people are apprehensive. Moreover, we demand the inclusion of more revenue villages in the redrawn constituency. There was a joint protest yesterday.”

Sorbhog’s CPI(M) MLA Manoranjan Talukdar led huge protest rallies opposing the draft, which proposes to l include several parts of the constituency in Bornagar constituency along with parts of Bhawanipur. 

The Batadroba constituency, in the Nagaon district, has also been redrawn. Batadroba is considered sacred due to the presence of one of the oldest monasteries established by Srimanta Sankardeva in Assam. Some portions of the constituency are now included in ‘Nagaon Sadar’ and there is an attempt to change Batadroba’s name. Batadroba’s Congress MLA Sibamoni Bora and MP Gaurav Gogoi participated in a huge demonstration here on Tuesday.