Guwahati, Oct 28 (IANS): With several of its office-bearers joining political parties in the past, the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) has decided to impose a three-month cooling-off period for the office-bearers between leaving the organization and joining a political party.
The AASU's recent general conference, which was held in Jonai in Dhemaji district recently, unanimously decided on the cooling off period and said that no office-bearer will be allowed to join a political party after completion of his tenure.
Several AASU leaders had joined political party in the past, which has seemingly affected its apolitical characteristics.
"We have been discussing for long on how to tackle this problem of leaders joining political parties immediately after completing their tenure. In the recent conference in Jonai, it was agreed to have a three-month (cooling off) period," said a senior AASU leader on Monday.
Assam Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal was an AASU president. Former Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and several ministers of his cabinet are also former AASU leaders.
AASU had led the six-year long anti-foreigners' movement between 1979 to 1985 seeking to detect and deport illegal infiltrators from Assam, which led to signing of the Assam accord in 1985.
Several AASU leaders who took part in the movement joined hands to float a new regional political outfit christened Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). The leaders contested elections and became ministers.
Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was once an AASU officer-bearer. He later joined Congress and prior to 2016 assembly polls, he left the Congress to join BJP.
Present Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, Water Resources Minister Keshav Mahanta, Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patwary were all AASU leaders, who took part in the movement.
Late Lalan Prasad Singh, who was born in Doomdooma in TInsukia district and became president of the All Assam Students' Union in 1972, had joined CPI(M) and contested the 1983 assembly election from Tinsukia seat.
In 2016 assembly polls, former AASU leader Topon Kumar Gogoi also joined the BJP and was elected to the Assembly. Gogoi later became a Lok Sabha MP after contesting the 2019 polls.