A CORRESPONDENT
LAKHIMPUR: Extensive stir against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019 continues in Lakhimpur district. Several organizations of the district, including All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), initiated various protest programmes in Lakhimpur on Wednesday vehemently opposing the controversial Act.
The North Lakhimpur regional unit of AASU organized a massive protest programme titled ‘Raijor Ninad’ against the Act at the Azad Bazaar premises on Wednesday in association with the Azad Bahpati Branch unit of the organization and with the participation of the local people of the larger Azad area. Blowing multiple traditional and religious musical instruments like daba, sankha (conch) and borkah, the protesters rocked the environment by shouting slogans against the Act and declaring their stand not to accept the same under any circumstances. They shouted slogans flaying the BJP-led government at the Centre and in the State, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, State Finance Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma and Asom Gana Parishad leaders for their betrayal to the State.
The protesters declared and warned the government that the agitation would take an intensified and extreme point because of the forceful imposition of the Act in the State of Assam despite massive protest against it.
Participating in the agitation programme, Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) central committee assistant general secretary Saurabh Das, Lakhimpur district AASU general secretary Dhanmoni Dutta, and Assam Anti-foreigners Movement leader and academician Mahesh Mahanta became vocal against the Act and the BJP government regarding the issue. Saurabh Das said that the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister had established dictatorship in the nation by forceful imposition of the Act while neglecting the people’s protest against it.
On the other hand, Dhanmoni Dutta severely criticized Chief Minister Sarbanada Sonowal and minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma for their provocative advocacy in favour of the Act. He further slammed the BJP’s IT Cell activists for their alleged vulgar attempts on social media to denounce the anti-CAA agitation by ‘hatching a conspiracy to destroy the native community’.
“CAA must be scrapped. To achieve this goal, we, irrespective our caste and creed, gender and profession, must fight unitedly. Our agitation will be going until and unless the black Act is scrapped,” said Dhanmoni Dutta.
Assam Agitation leader Mahesh Mahanta asserted that the Act would never be accepted. “The Act has discriminated the Hindus and Muslims by sponsoring communal segregation causing threat to harmony. Anyone can play the game of vote bank politics. But it should not be destructive to the indigenous people of the State. We will never allow such politics,” Mahesh Mahanta said.
On the other hand, the Lakhimpur district Sachetan Chatra Samaj boycotted the regular classes on the same day in protest against CAA, responding to the call of the North East Region University Students’ Forum. The student members of the organization staged dharna in front of North Lakhimpur College (Autonomous) demanding the scrapping of the CAA. The students of all colleges of the districts boycotted their regular classes to register their opposition to the Act by wearing black badges.
In addition to it, the North Lakhimpur regional unit AASU lit earthen lamps in Swahid Bakari (martyr’s yard) in North Lakhimpur town in the morning paying deep tribute to the CAA martyrs. AJYCP, Tai Ahom Yuva Parishad, Asom, Jatyatabadi Yuva Parishad and Mahila Samaj, Lakhimpur also took part in the programme.