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12.23 hrs.
DISCUSSION UNDER RULE 193
Recent Incidents of Violence in Assam and some
other parts of the country due to Recruitment Policy
of the Railways
Title: Discussion regarding recent incidents of violence in Assam and some other parts of the country due to recruitment policy of the Railways. (Not concluded)
MR. SPEAKER: Now, we are taking up the discussion which is listed in today’s business to be initiated by Shri Basudeb Acharia. Before we start the discussion, I have to make a few observations.
Hon. Members, recent incidents of violence in Assam and some other parts of the country due to recruitment policy of the Railways is a sensitive issue and it needs to be discussed with objectivity and in a broader perspective. When such matters are discussed on the floor of the House in an objective manner, a definite message goes to the nation which is an expression of the cumulative wisdom of the people’s representatives.
I would, therefore, urge upon the hon. Members to discuss the matter in a positive and constructive manner, rising above the considerations of regions and parties, so that at the end of the discussion a message goes from this House that not only this House but the entire nation is one in condemning the senseless and mindless violence.
This statement is made with responsibility by me today because I feel that the discussion should be done in the most decent manner in the House. In the Leaders’ meeting it was also suggested that since the integrity of the nation is much more important than any other consideration, we may also, at the end of the discussion, adopt a Resolution which will send a message to the entire nation that on such issues, we are one.
Therefore, I would urge upon all the hon. Members, who are going to speak today, that the entire discussion should be with great decorum and we must send a right message to the country so that further violence is not created in any part of the country. I hope the Members will co-operate and will definitely act as the representatives not only of their constituencies but also of the nation. Thank you.
Now, we can start the discussion.
श्री प्रभुनाथ सिंह (महाराजगंज, बिहार) : अध्यक्ष जी, हम भी कुछ कहना चाहते हैं।
आपने जो कहा, हम आपके निर्देश का अक्षरश: पालन करेंगे। लेकिन जो विषय नियम १९३ के अंतर्गत लिया गया है – “रेलवे की भर्ती नीति के कारण असम और देश के कुछ अन्य भागों में हाल में हुई हिंसा की घटनाओं के बारे में एक चर्चा उठाएंगे” – असम में रेलवे की परीक्षा के बाद घटनाक्रम शुरू हुआ। लेकिन बिहार के लोगों के साथ, हिन्दीभाषी लोगों के साथ देश के अन्य भागों में जो हो रहा है, दिल्ली के बारे में कहा जाता है कि उत्तर प्रदेश और बिहार के लोग आकर दिल्ली को गंदा करते हैं। अभी आंध्रा प्रदेश में छात्रों की पिटाई की गई। बिहार के लोगों के साथ जो घटना घटी, हमने उसके संबंध में सवाल उठाया था। ये दोनों अलग-अलग चीजें हैं। इसलिए पहले जो सवाल था, उसे पीछे किया गया है। उस पर अलग से चर्चा करनी चाहिए। देश के पैमाने पर जो घटना घट रही है, लोग अपमानित हो रहे हैं, जिन्दा जलाए जा रहे हैं, उस सवाल को पीछे किया गया है। हमने भी नियम १९३ के अंतर्गत नोटिस दिया था।…( व्यवधान)
अध्यक्ष महोदय : मैं आपकी बात समझता हूं, इसलिए जहां तक जरूरी है, इस चर्चा को मॉडीफाई किया जाएगा और इस विषय पर बोलने की इजाजत दी जाएगी।
श्री प्रभुनाथ सिंह : हमने स्पैसीफिकली नियम १९३ के लिए नोटिस दिया था। हमने इस मामले को परसों उठाया था। लेकिन हमारा मैटर चेंज कर दिया गया है।
अध्यक्ष महोदय : इसलिए उस रैजोलूशन को थोड़ा मॉडीफाई करेंगे जिसके कारण यह विषय भी उसमें आ जाएगा।
श्री प्रभुनाथ सिंह : इस मैटर को डायवर्ट किया जा रहा है।
अध्यक्ष महोदय : ऐसा कोई प्रश्न नहीं है। असम का विषय शुरूआत में ज्यादा महत्वपूर्ण था।
…( व्यवधान)
अध्यक्ष महोदय : मैंने सबको बोलने की इजाजत नहीं दी है। आप हर मिनट में नहीं बोल सकते। मैं आपके भाषण के लिए प्रॉयरिटी दे रहा हूं।
एक माननीय सदस्य : अध्यक्ष जी, क्या इस विषय पर आज ही पूरी चर्चा होगी?
अध्यक्ष महोदय : अगर आज कर सकेंगे तो करेंगे, नहीं तो अगले दिन करेंगे।
(बांकुरा): अध्यक्ष महोदय, आपने कहा कि हमें चर्चा में भाग लेते समय यह ध्यान रखना चाहिए कि हम यहां जो बात कहेंगे, उसका लक्ष्य यह होगा कि प्रोविंशियल शॉवीनिज़्म, जो आज से नहीं बल्कि कई सालों से चल रहा है, हम उसे कैसे खत्म कर सकेंगे। हम अपने देश की अखंडता और एकता की रक्षा कैसे कर सकेंगे। हमारा देश एक फैडरल स्ट्रक्चर है। हम इसे मजबूत करना चाहते हैं। जो घटना असम और उसके पूर्व बिहार में घटी है, हम उस घटना की निन्दा करते हैं।…( व्यवधान)
श्री प्रभुनाथ सिंह : असम में भी घटना घटी है।…( व्यवधान)
श्री बसुदेव आचार्य : हमने पहले असम बोला है। प्रभुनाथ जी, हम ठीक बोल रहे हैं।…( व्यवधान)
अध्यक्ष महोदय : And other parts of the country, ऐसा भी कहा है।
श्री बसुदेव आचार्य : हमने पहले असम कहा, उसके बाद बिहार कहा।…( व्यवधान)ठीक है, हम अपनी बात में संशोधन करते हैं। हम सब लोगों को यह संकल्प लेना है कि हम भविष्य में कहीं भी ऐसी घटना नहीं घटने देंगे।
Sir, what has happened in Assam is unabated anti-Bihari frenzy; and escalation of violence has rocked Assam. There has been a worsening of the law and order situation in Assam. As a result of that more than 60 Biharis and Hindi-speaking people were killed.
Thousands of people belonging to the Bihari population and other Hindi-speaking people from my district are staying in Assam for more than sixty to seventy years. My district was once upon a time a part of Bihar, prior to 1956. From the Chota Nagpur area, tribals were taken to Assam to work in tea plantations. They are still in Assam though they are not recognised as Scheduled Tribes in Assam. They were brought to Assam by the Britishers to work in tea plantations. So, Biharis and Hindi-speaking people are staying in Assam for years together. They have become a part and parcel of the Assamese people. They do not think that they are separate from the Assamese. These people belong to the poor sections of the society like rickshaw-pullers, vendors and small traders. These people were attacked. About ten thousand of them are now staying in 26 relief camps. The worst affected districts were Dibrugarh and Tinsukia.
The largest number of Biharis are in Tinsukia district in Upper Assam and Nalbari and Bongaigaon in Lower Assam. About sixty people were killed and thousand houses were gutted and burnt down. Such a heinous crime was committed by a certain group that was not supported by the people of Assam. The ULFA, which was in a dormant state, took advantage of the situation and gave a call that within 24 hours all the Biharis should leave Assam. Then, AASU and the Assam Jatiyatavadi Yuva Chhatra Union also started campaigning against Biharis.
Why did this happen? Was it sporadic and spontaneous? What is the genesis of this incident? There was an advertisement by the Railways that the Railways would recruit 20,000 gangmen and khalasis and other safety staff and this recruitment to Group ‘D’ category would be done through RRBs. For 20,000 posts, 70 lakh candidates applied. For 2,750 posts in the NF Railway, seven lakh people applied. Out of this, 40 per cent belonged to Assam and 60 per cent were from outside Assam because the NF Railway is spread over Assam, West Bengal and also Bihar. There is one division, the Katihar Division in Bihar under the NF Railway. So, candidates from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Tripura applied.On 9th of November when the boys from Bihar and Tripura went to Guwahati at Malegaon, the headquarters of NF Railways, they were prevented from appearing in the interview. The Tripura Government has suggested that the recruitment centre should be at Agartala also. They identified a place also. All was finalised but that was not agreed upon by the Ministry of Railways. The boys from Tripura were also asked to come to Guwahati for appearing in the interview. The boys from Tripura were also prevented to appear in the interview. They were numbering about ten thousand. These boys could not appear in the interview. This news spread in Bihar. On the next two days, that is, 11th and 12th November, the trains coming from Assam were stopped at various stations in Bihar. At Katihar, at Jamalpur and at a number of other stations, passengers, particularly from Assam and even from some North-East States also were taken out of the compartment and they were beaten up.
Sir, it might be an exaggerated report that a girl from Arunachal Pradesh or Nagaland was gang-raped. For a number of days – two or three days—such things happened. What were the Railway officials doing, or were they sleeping at that time? The Railways had about 80,000 of Railway Protection Force personnel. What were they doing? Why were they not deployed to protect the innocent passengers? They were railway passengers. It was the responsibility of the Railways to protect the passengers. When the Ministry of Railways came to know that such thing is happening, then why the poor and innocent passengers were not given protection by the Railway Protection Force? These passengers were unprotected. They were assaulted and beaten up.
Then, on 17th November, a bandh was called by the All Asam Students Union (AASU), Assam Jatiyatavadi Yuva Chhatra Union and also by the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). They called a bandh and started attacking Biharis. They were innocent people and they started leaving Assam. They had nowhere to go because they had left their villages long back, say 50 years or 60 years ago. Where will they stay? They were beaten up, assaulted and killed. This provincial chauvinism was created. Actually, in Bihar there is no such problem of provincialism. Bihari people are everywhere. There are more than 20 lakh Biharis who are staying in Assam. There are Biharis in Bengal and in Kolkata itself.Lakhs of Biharis are working in West Bengal. There is no bad feeling between the Biharis and the Bengalis. The Bengalis are staying in Bihar. There is no provincialism in Bihar. I can quote from the first Chief Minister of Bihar. When the Damodar Valley Corporation was created, an apprehension was expressed by some members of the Assembly and some people. Even in December, 1947 when the Damodar Valley Corporation was built, an interesting debate took place in the Bihar Assembly. The Members harped on the inescapable fact that a lot of land in Bihar would be submerged as a result of this project while the benefits of flood protection and irrigation would go to Bengal. The then Chief Minister Shri S.K. Sinha said and I quote :
“It was only a few months back that we, on August 15, 1947, made ourselves free and swore allegiance to India, to one India. None could realise that they would soon be forgotten that, if millions were benefited in Bengal by flood protection works which did submerge a few villages in Bihar, those millions protected were as much Indians as those in Bihar who lost some land.”
Such was the statement made by the first Chief Minister of Bihar in the Assembly.
But why is this happening today? The problem is that the unemployment is growing in spite of the solemn assurance given by the hon. Prime Minister that one crore jobs to the unemployed youths each year would be given. Today, the number of registered unemployed youth in Assam is more than 17 lakh and in Bihar it is 20 lakh. The industries are being closed. What remained with Bihar after bifurcation was nothing. All the industries – coal, mica, iron ore, copper, everything – are with Jharkhand. Most of the industries which are there are closed. The Barauni Fertilizer unit is closed today. Two wagon manufacturing units are almost closed. The hon. Minister of Railways, Shri Nitish Kumar knows it. One of them is in his constituency, Mokama and the other one is in Muzaffarpur. They are almost closed. Not a single wagon is now being manufactured today. For the last six months the workers have not received their salary. I know that the workers of the Bharat Wagon unit of Muzaffarpur have not received their salary for the last six months. They are starving.
All these industries are closed and unemployment is growing. The same is the situation in Assam. What is the ratio of Group C and Group D posts both in Bihar as well as the North-East? I asked this question long back in 1987 as to why the ratio of Group C and Group D posts in the North-East was only 26 per cent, and the answer was that there is no infrastructure and as a result of that the industries are not coming up in the North-East. Because of the wrong policies of this Government, certain areas in some States of our country will continue to remain backward and industrialisation will not be there and the unemployment will grow. As a result of this, there is a demand that employment should be given to the sons of the soil. AASU is demanding it. The Assam Jatiyatavadi Yuva Chhatra Union is demanding it. Almost all the political parties – except Left and secular parties – are saying this. I can say with conviction that except Left Parties, all the parties are supporting that 100 per cent posts should be reserved for the local youths.