A CORRESPONDENT
LAKHIMPUR: The people of Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts celebrated Uruka and Magh (Bhogali) Bihu like the previous years on Tuesday and Wednesday.
But the festival this year across both districts was not celebrated with due enthusiasm. It celebrated in an environment of protest against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) 2019. The protest and stir against the controversial Act continued in both districts while celebrating the community feast on Uruka night and burning of the meji (the traditional bonfire) on early Wednesday morning.
As per initiative as a part of continuous agitation against the Act taken by central committee of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and 30 ethnic organizations, the Lakhimpur district unit of the organization burnt the copy of the CAA in the meji. All the 16 regional AASU committees under Lakhimpur district unit staged the stir in their respective jurisdictions. The copy of the Act was burnt in most of the community mejis under the auspices of the AASU and 30 ethnic organizations. Similarly, a major part of the common people, who have vehemently opposed the Act, also burnt the copy of the CAA either in their individual meji or community meji organized in their villages. Notably, the AASU dignitaries called upon the people of the district to burn the copy of the Act in their mejis to register their protest against the CAA even while celebrating the festival.
The Dhemaji district unit of the AASU also initiated the burning of the copy of the CAA across the district. As per information found from Dhemaji district AASU president, Dipak Kumar Sarmah, all the regional committees under Dhemaji district unit staged the protest programme across the district. The copies of the CAA were burnt at Hatigarh, Gohain Gaon, Borasia, Eradhol, Nagakhelia, Bakal, Bhoralichuk, Gowalchapori and Nolonipam under Dhemaji centre regional unit. Similarly, the Yuva Samaj of Kachari Pothar village under Pachim Dhemaji burnt the copy of the CAA in their community meji on Wednesday morning and rocked the environment by shouting anti-CAA slogans. The president stated that the copy of the Act was burnt almost in all the villages under Pachim Dhemaji area. Dhemaji district AASU organizing secretary Arun Bor Saikia delivered sensitizing speeches in the area on that day. He was assisted by Dhemaji district unit Sonowal Kachari Students’ Union assistant secretary Dulen Sonowal.
On the other hand, the activists of the Lakhimpur district unit of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti initiated a 24-hour long hunger strike from 11 am on January 14 to 11 am on January 15 demanding the scrapping of the CAA, release of the arrested all anti-CAA agitators and to stop government oppression on anti-CAA agitators. The stir was staged in front of the Lakhimpur Deputy Commissioner’s office. The protesters of the organization observed the tradition of Magh Bihu by burning the meji at the protest venue. They burnt the copy of the CAA in the meji and vowed not to accept the Act under any circumstances. Several organizations of the district extended their support to the stir of the organization.