by Mayukh Goswami (PNI)

Mangaldai   :The internal conflict between a section of Members of the Foreigners’ Tribunal (FT) in Darrang district reportedly over last couple of months has turned serious of late as the Mangaldai Bar Association  addressed media in this regard following an urgent general meeting of the association on Saturday afternoon where a slew of unanimous resolutions including  condemning some actions of the said Members of the FT and demand for their immediate  removal from the district have been passed . Briefing this before media at the library of the one hundred year old Lawyers’ body, its president Madhab Rajbongshi and secretary Sailendra Kr Sarma Barua in presence of its adviser Ram Singh and Assistant Secretary Akbor Ali expressed strong resentment over the negative and neglected attitude of the Members of two FTs of the district  FT-1 and FT-4 respectively towards the lawyers and their respective clients .

The office bearers of the Bar association alleged that  these two Members of the above mentioned FTs have used to ill treat and misbehave its members in front of their clients  while inflicting mental torture on their clients thus repeatedly humiliating the self respect and profession of the lawyers . It has been also alleged that the FT Members in question never accepted written statements (WS) prepared in Assamese and sometimes don’t even bother to throw it away . It was also mentioned before media that a delegate of the lawyers’ body met both the judges physically and requested them to sort out the alleged conflict .

However it didn’t work and the lawyers body moved the Deputy Commissioner , Darrang requesting his intervention . But it also failed to make any impact. On the contrary  the FT Members used to pass some derogatory comments before the lawyers over the official power of a Deputy Commissioner to control their affairs . “ You have filed complaints against us . What hell this DC can do against us ? Whether a DC can take any action against us ?” , said the president, Rajbongshi. “ We have nothing to say over the judgments  of the Members . But they have no right to humiliate our members. They must allow us to follow the proceedings in a conducing atmosphere .” pointed out by Secretary Sarma Barua

Earlier the Bar association through passing resolutions in the general meeting decided to move the Gauhati High Court , the Chief Minister and the Law Minister of the State for their urgent intervention in the issue and make necessary arrangement for early removal of  both the said FT Members from the district to avoid any further disturbing situation in near future .