Student politics have been the forefront in decision-making and public policy in Assam. It dates backs to the pre-independence era when the Assamese students studying at the prominent colleges in Assam and Bengal province took part in various Independence movements.
The concept of active politics by students in changing the socio-political scenario in the state goes during the time when the anti-foreigners movement was at the peak. Massive protests by students in universities, colleges and schools forced New Delhi to sign the Assam Accord of 1985, following the Assam agitation which broke out in 1979.
The Assam agitation and the signing of the Accord witnessed the birth of ‘Asom Gana Parishad’ (AGP) which went on to clean sweep the Assam elections in December 1985. This election also saw the emergence of two young politicians in their early 30s who took up the top charges at Dispur.
Prafulla Mahanta became the youngest chief minister at the age of 33 while Late Bhrigu Phukan became the country’s youngest home minister at the age of 29.
It was the time when several political analysts projected that Assam and the regional politics is in similar line with Tamil Nadu. The birth of AGP also gave hopes that the state will now be bestowed with the micro-politics by the regional party which will speak of the region.
However, due to the internal rifts and incompetency of the young politicians, people’s hope got shattered which resulted in their defeat in 1991 Assam elections.
Apart from the failure of the Mahanta-led government, the party and the government were also named notorious of the ‘secret killings in Assam’.
This was probably the darkest chapter in Assam’s political history when relatives, friends, sympathizers of ULFA insurgents were systematically killed by unknown assailants. These extra-judicial murders happened between 1998 and 2001, during the second tenure of Mahanta.
While, the state is still settling the dust from the darkest chapter, 35-years later after the AGP emerged as a regional micro-political party, a similar development in Assam is taking recourse.
This time with the sole motive to eradicate the presence of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at Dispur and their contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, two “apolitical” organizations ‘All Assam Students’ Union’ (AASU) and ‘Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad’ (AJYCP) is going to launch a regional party ahead of Assam elections due in mid-2021.
With the motto of ‘Assam first- always and ever’, these two pressure groups are optimistic of winning the forthcoming election by floating a regional party based on regional ideas and aspirations of the people of Assam.
The upcoming election is due in seven months and ahead of that, the BJP, the Indian National Congress (INC), Badaruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF and other political fronts have already started their pre-polls strategies.
While the AASU-AJYCP is yet to float their political front, the people have raised concerns on their next move as the election is due in seven months. A political analyst highlighted that eight to ten months are crucial for any party to plan out their move in the next elections.
While, for BJP, the pre-poll strategies are already chalked out and the INC started their talks in collation with the AIUDF.
“Pre-poll strategies take time. Apart from the assessment on who will be given the ticket, there are a lot of other studies including expenditure, public relations, the establishment of the local office and such has to be done,” opined Pradeep, a psephologist.
“But for AASU and AJYCP, there are lots to happen before they plan out to contest in the upcoming polls. They will have to work more to reach out the people as the BJP has already refurbished their image which got black stain during CAA protests,” he added.
The analysts are hinting that if there was no Covid-19 pandemic, the regional parties carved out of the anti-CAA protests would have been in a bright spot but the pandemic gave BJP a chance to refurbish their image.
“They have already polished their image due to the effort of Himanta Biswa Sarma. It seems the people are with the BJP once again. People have forgotten the anti-CAA protests,” he expressed.
Many pointed out that the good deeds of the Assam’s health and finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma have turned the table towards BJP, once again, which was lost amid the anti-CAA protests.
For the success of the political party by the AASU and the AJYCP, the leaders have to wait for long since the saffron party is seen to be on the bright side, given the current trends.
If we contrast with AGP which emerged from Assam agitation, political analysts in the state informed us that the time has changed and people of Assam now looks through the spectacle of national integration and not through micro-regionalism.
As the time ticks fast for the upcoming election due in mid-2021, the new political party by AASU and AJYCP has a lot to work on their efforts to win over the trust of the people.