Assam-based peasant leader Akhil Gogoi today said farmers and social activists would intensify their struggle against what he called the RSS-BJP combine's attempt to spread Hindutva ideology in the northeastern state, "destroying" its social fabric.
Talking to reporters here, Gogoi, president of Krishak Mukti Sangharsh Samiti (KMSS), said his organisation along with the All Indian Kisan Sabha (AIKS) would chalk out an agitation plan for the next six months.
"There are 97 tribes in Assam. But after the BJP formed the government in the state, it is trying to destroy the social fabric of our state so that they can spread Hindutva (ideology). They want to convert Assam into Gujarat. We would fight together to throw away the BJP from the Northeast," he said.
The KMSS leader also accused the central government of removing the special category state status for northeastern states.
"Economic status of Assam is very bad. There is no development work. There is no infrastructure. In 1969, Assam was given special category status, but the BJP government has finished it," Gogoi said.
AIKS leaders said that not only Assam but many other northeastern states are also being ignored by the Centre.
"Tripura had been deprived of central fund for many years. The new BJP government in Tripura has released a white paper regarding financial health of the state. They have said that in the last four years, Tripura was deprived of Rs 20 thousand crore of central fund," Jitendra Choudhury, Joint Secretary of CPI(M)'s peasant wing AIKS, said.
Bhumi Adhikar Andolan, which is an umbrella organisation of more than 200 farmers and social activists' groups, would soon have an Assam chapter.
"Our priority is now Assam. We are trying to get together all other activist and farmers' groups in the state to fight against the communal, anti-farmer policies of the BJP," Hannan Mollah, AIKS all-India general secretary, said.
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