GUWAHATE: The 13dayold saga of “oil blockade” in Assam followed by black flag demonstrations at public meetings of federal home minister Mufti Sayeed, and the resignation of federal law minister, Dinesh Goswami, marked a fortnight of hectic political activities for Assam.

Trouble started on the Independence Day, when the powerful All Assam Students Union (AASU) started an “oil blockade” at six pumping stations in the state to demand early implementation of the Assam accord and scrapping of a loop line scheme, allegedly for taking additional crude oil outside the state.

The 13dayold blockade, according to the petroleum minister, M S Gurupada swamy, resulted in a loss of at least 700 million rupees to 800 million rupees and came at a time when the country was hard pressed due to disturbed situation in Iraq.

Though it may sound strange, the AASU pressed for the scrapping of the loop line scheme even as the center, including the prime minister, V P Singh, himself had categorically and repeatedly denied there was any move to pump additional crude oil to outside the state. AASU sources, however, confided that the federal government had a “plan” to pump out additional crude and that is why a written assurance, sought by it, was elusive. “Otherwise why this proposal for loop line at all? Some of the student leaders ask.

Regarding the other demand for early implementation of the Assam accord the AASU leadership allege that, so far there was no effort by either the centre or the state governments to fulfill the main clause of the accord—detection and deportation of foreigners.

The federal government on its part said that the National Front government was sympathetic to the demands of the state by deciding to set up fourth “accord refinery”, a gas cracker unit and enhancing the oil royalty besides granting several other economic packages.

Ina reply the AASU maintains that economic packages were not enough but that effective steps should be taken to detect and deport foreign nationals. This has delayed publication of the final electoral rolls throwing a cloud of uncertainty over the forthcoming elections to the state assembly and its representatives to the lower house of parliament.

Article extracted from this publication >> September 14, 1990