“I have the right to travel anywhere in India:” Sushmita Dev responds as groups threaten ban entry in Upper Assam

Thirty ethnic and community organisations in Assam have announced a ban on Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev from entering Upper Assam. The organisations, in a press conference held in Sivasagar today, warned that if she attempts to enter that part of the state, she will be “chased out like animals.”

A spokesperson from the coalition of the 30 ethnic community organisations stated on Monday, “We strongly criticise Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev. She does not belong to the 30 ethnic groups of Assam, she does not belong to us. I sternly warned her not to compare us with the ULFA (United Liberation Front of Assam). If she has any complaint against the ULFA, she should go to them but not compare our ethnic groups with them. She must apologise in front of us.”

The tensions began after an incident on August 13 involving the alleged assault of a 17-year-old girl in Sivasagar, Assam. The main accused of this incident was found to be non-Assamese traders of the area and the girl was an Assamese. This was enough to trigger protests targeting “non-Assamese” business owners, particularly the Marwari community. The protests escalated, leading to a dramatic public apology from Marwari representatives on August 22. The apology, performed on stage with their knees bent and hands folded, took place in the presence of state minister Dr Ranoj Pegu who also happens to be the Guardian Minister of the district. Photos of the event were widely circulated, sparking further controversy.

Protesters demanded restrictions on land sales to non-indigenous people, the prominent use of Assamese script in business signage, and hiring quotas for Indigenous youths. The situation was exacerbated by threats from the militant group ULFA(I). The tensions eventually eased following an apology and a compensation offer to the girl’s family.

The controversy took a new turn when, during a press meeting in Silchar, Trinamool MP Sushmita Dev commented on the issue, describing the apology as hurtful to the Marwari community and condemning the act as insulting, especially since it occurred in the presence of a state minister. Dev also questioned why members of ULFA(I) who surrender and become SULFA (Surrendered ULFA) are not asked to apologise publicly, as Marwaris were.

ULFA(I) led by Paresh Baruah is a terrorist organisation believed to have killed over 4,500 people in their operations since the late 1970s. The question she put forward was when dreaded terrorists with hands bloodied with murder and extortion are not asked to apologise on a stage, why was the entire community of Marwaris? Dev’s comments sparked outrage among the 30 Nationalistic Ethnic Groups of Upper Assam who had banned her travels to that part of the state.

In response to the organisations’ ban, Sushmita Dev asserted her constitutional rights, stating, “As a citizen of democratic India, I have the right to move freely to any state or place. No one can obstruct this right of mine, and if any person or organisation attempts to infringe upon my freedom or rights, the law will respond appropriately. Otherwise, it will indicate that law and order in Assam have completely collapsed. I always walk on the path of truth, so no one’s threats affect me. I remain steadfast.”

The situation remains tense as the standoff between Sushmita Dev and the ethnic organisations continues, highlighting the deep-seated ethnic and communal tensions in Assam.