Guwahati: Rahul Chetry, a 24-year-old who is the
general secretary Dibrugarh University Post Graduate Students’ Union
(DUPGSU) has become the latest individual in Assam to be issued a summon
by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for taking part in an
anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protest. Chetry has been asked by
the NIA to appear at its office, which is located at Sonapur in the
outskirts of the city, on Friday for the ‘purpose of answering certain
questions relating to the case’.
Chetry is among the slew of students’ union leaders and academics in
the state who have been asked to appear before the NIA for anti-CAA
protests. In February, former Cotton University student leader Pranjal Kalita and IIT Guwahati academic Arupjyoti Saikia were summoned by the NIA for the same purpose.
The 24-year-old student has been summoned under Section 160 of the
Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPc) to appear as a witness. The same
section was used to question Saikia and Kalita also. It should be noted
that Saikia was questioned by the NIA at its office on multiple
occasions. Chetry, in the meantime, has prepared a legal team to ‘meet
out the challenges’ as posed by the NIA. He said it is ‘quite
unfortunate’ that in contemporary India, taking part in democratic
protests is seen as “something else”.
He speculated that the move by the NIA is conspiratorial. Chetry said
that the notice he received is actually addressed is in the name of his
brother Rubul Chetry, who has been living in the UAE for more than a
year. Rahul’s name is written in black ink, overlapping the name Rubul.
While speaking to The Wire, Chetry said his brother Rubul is
totally nonchalant about the political happenings in Assam and hasn’t
even spoken about it on social media platforms.
Chetry, who is also the Assam state general secretary of the Bharatiya
Gorkha Yuva Parisangha (BGYP), said it is “surprising” that the notice
was issued in the name of his brother. “It is even more surprising that
my name was written on it with black ink. My brother has nothing to do
with anti-CAA protests and doesn’t even use social media platforms to
express his views. I feel this is a conspiracy,” he said. “They are
doing it because they couldn’t prove the charges brought against Akhil
Gogoi, that he is a Maoist. I took part in peaceful protests at
Dibrugarh University. I took part in peaceful protests through
democratic means and it is quite unfortunate that people are being asked
to appear before the NIA just because they took part in protests,”
Chetry said.
Nanda Kirati Dewan, the president of BGYP, said that even being
called as a witness by the NIA implies “something else”. “We are taking
precautionary legal measures. We are wary that his statement may be
recorded and he may be forced to sign on something. That cannot be done.
We may also move the Gauhati high court if Rahul is detained more than
24-hours,” Dewan said. “Our legal team will be ready to provide all
assistance. It should also be noted that on previous occasions, people
who have been called as a witness were put behind bars. Rahul is a vocal
student leader and the community’s youth face in the anti-CAA
movement.”
Gorkhas and NRC
In the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, released
in August last year, an estimated one lakh Gorkhas have been excluded.
There are about 25 lakh Gorkhas in the state. Leaders of the Bharatiya
Gorkha Parisangha (BGP), a pan-India organisation and one of the parties
to the NRC case at the Supreme Court, contend that these Gorkhas were
excluded because they were ‘arbitrarily’ tagged as doubtful voters, and a
majority of them were not even served notices.
In September 2019,
members of Assam’s Gorkha community have said that they will not
approach the Foreigners’ Tribunals (FTs). They will instead take legal
recourse if any member of the community has to appear before the
tribunal, after being excluded from the NRC.
The Gorkhas in Assam were recruited by the British as part of the
Assam Light Infantry. The 1815 treaty of Segowlee, signed between the
East India Company and Nepal, throws light on the history of Gorkhas in
Assam. The BGP also went on a week-long tour of multiple districts in
Assam to know about the ground reality of Gorkhas excluded from the NRC.
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