The Congress today raised in Parliament Outlook’s cover story on RSS affiliates trafficking tribal girls from Assam in the guise of education. The party plans to raise it in the Assam Assembly when it reconvenes on August 8.
The Congress moved a zero-hour notice in Parliament although floods were a dominant issue. Silchar MP Sushmita Dev, who moved the notice told Outlook, “I would have preferred to move an adjournment motion. But the flood situation in Assam is so grim that it overtook other issues. On principle, I didn’t want flood issue to completely overshadow the child lifting issue, so I decided to move a zero hour notice.
“The issue is so scary. The RSS propagating Hindutva has been happening even before independence; we are all aware of it. But to use that agenda now and indoctrination in this manner is scary especially when it is not voluntary. This is forced conversion.
“Moreover, the Supreme Court has already stated that children below 12 years cannot be removed out of Assam and Manipur, then how are they shifting the children to other states? Their (RSS-BJP) reaction is Christian missionaries also do it. But the point is they don’t do it surreptitiously. There is an element of coercion in what the RSS is doing in Assam,” said Dev.
Gaurav Gogoi, another Lok Sabha MP from Assam, said the Congress will most likely raise the issue in Parliament through an adjournment motion. “It flouts all procedures such as Section 370 IPC and the Right to Education which emphasises that children should study in neighbourhood schools within one kilometre.
“The government should set up an inquiry into the issue because those who are targeted are primarily vulnerable children, who are living in deplorable conditions. The modus operandi of the RSS is to enhance their cadres. The home ministry should investigate it since the education of these children is not being supported within their home state but in a different state. It is more than just philanthropy. After all, these children are being exposed to foreign culture and language,” said Gogoi.
Leader of Opposition in the Assam Assembly Debabrata Saikia told Outlook that the Congress MLAs will raise the issue when the Assembly meets again on August 8. Saikia said, The beauty of our country is we can worship anything; it is not necessary that we have to follow either Hinduism or Christianity or Islam. There are people even today who worship a tree or something else. And that is the beauty of our Constitution; it doesn’t restrain anyone from worshipping what they wish to.
“But this kind of aggression from mainland India can influence people because many people are not literate. This kind of a move can lead to communal tension. Besides what is happening is in violation of the Juvenile Justice Act. It is not expected from an organisation which claims that it respects women,” Saikia said.
(This piece is a web extra. Doesn't appear in the printed version of the magazine.)
