GUWAHATI, Oct 26: Unable to win over the influential All Assam Students' Union (AASU), the ruling Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has finally decided to float its own student-youth wing with the intention to broaden its base among the younger generation of the State.This decision was taken at the AGP's general house meeting held here last weekend, but the modalities for the new wing are yet to be worked out.The decision however is likely to cause friction between the party and the AASU, primarily because the AGP itself is a product of the student organisation's six-year long agitation over the issue of influx.But while for most of the past 13 years of the AGP's existence the AASU had by and large extended support to it, the student body is increasingly becoming critical of the ruling party.This difference has become so sharp that as the AASU came out with a strong-worded statement last Saturday accusing the AGP-led government of patronising political killings and Army atrocities on the common people, theAGP-led regime has lashed back, saying the student body was often supporting the separatist forces including the militant groups.Reacting to the AASU's allegation that the AGP-led government was engaged in destroying the social fabric of the State, a government statement said the present AASU leadership was totally alienated from the masses and was thus unnecessarily criticising the government on various issues.``It has become clear from the statements of the AASU in the recent past that while it criticises the government for taking steps against militants, it finds no time to react and condemn when innocent people are targeted by the militant groups,'' the official statement said.The government also pointed out that while the AASU has failed to create public opinion against terrorism and militancy, it has also not made any serious effort to give a proper direction to the student community of the State.It is worth mentioning that the present set of AASU leadership has been drawing flak from thecommon people as well, first for clinging to their offices for too long (more than six years), and second, for openly praising the BJP during the last general elections.This incidentally is not the first time that the AASU and AGP has locked horns. The AASU had in October, 1996 clashed with the AGP in a big way over holding of by-elections to four assembly seats on the allegedly defective electoral rolls.However, AASU leaders are yet to react to two developments - the decision of the AGP to float its own student wing, and the lambasting of the student body by the government through an official press release.Meanwhile, the AASU has called for a State-wide bandh on October 29 in protest against price rise as well the murder of two of its members in Nalbari and Dibrugarh by unidentified miscreants earlier this month.
