GUWAHATI: The All Guwahati Students' Union (AGSU) on Monday unveiled a stone at Chandmari in memory of 855 people, who died during the six-year-long Assam agitation against illegal migrants.
The 12-feet high stone has been made by sculptor Biren Sinha. The memorial stone contains the piece of stone on which an Aasu activist Dulal Sarma wrote, "We will rather give blood, not oil" with his blood in 1980.
"On that day, hundreds of Aasu supporters had hit the streets to protest against the export of oil from the state. The agitation went on despite harsh measures by the government," former Aasu activist Khanin Chandra Das said.
He said he is quite upset as the agitation failed to attain its desired goal. Similar views were echoed by Bisheswar Hazarika and Kuntala Deka, both former Aasu activists, who were present at the function.
"The foreigners' problem is still a burning issue in the state. Aasu should try to solve it," Das said. Altogether 855 Aasu activists sacrificed their lives during the Assam agitation, which eventually ended in the Assam Accord of 1985. But the current Aasu leaders are annoyed with the activities of their former leaders. "The then leaders betrayed the state. The new generation of Aasu activists will never excuse them. But, we will never stop working towards our goals," Aasu presidents Shankar Prasad Roy said.
"We should not forget the sacrifice of martyrs. So we are putting up this memorial stone. We vow to carry on with our struggle," Aasu general secretary Tapan Gogoi said.
Aasu adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya said the people of Assam should retrospect and help Aasu save the indigenous people of the state.
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