STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The Students' Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) staged a protest at Hedayetpur, Guwahati Club on Friday opposing the coal mining activities at the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary and drilling of hydrocarbons in Dibru Saikhowa.
Among other demands, the bodies opposed the decision to privatize 7 oilfields of the State.
Raising placards and slogans, the activists staged the protest by maintaining the social distancing norms. They demanded to not to set up Toll Gates during the pandemic, without completing the construction of roads.
Further, the protestors demanded the release of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students, Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal including all the anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) protestors.
The SFI and the DYFI also demanded proper investigation over the murders of Sanatan Deka (Hajo) , Paragjyoti Neog (Chabua) and Hiranya Sarma (Nalbari). They demanded strict punishment for the accused.
SFI, Assam State Committee's general secretary Nirangkush Nath claimed that the government is trying to block the voice of the people by taking advantage of the pandemic situation.
One of the protestors said that, "by appealing everyone to not do politics during the pandemic, the government itself is engaging in politics." He alleged that the government has started to loot the natural resources by taking decisions to carry coal mining, drilling hydrocarbons in forest areas, and privatizaing oilfields.