Assam On The Boil Over Citizenship Bill, Bandh Affects Normal Life

DIGBOI: Protests erupted across Tinsukia district, including Digboi, on Tuesday with agitators belonging to around 30 local organizations resorting to various forms of demonstrations in public over the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and tabling of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) report in Parliament on Monday. The AASU and 30 other ethnic organisations of Assam took to the streets in Digboi, Tinsukia, Margherita, Jagun and Doomdooma and resorted to road blockade, burning tyres on the road, wearing black badges and burning effigies of BJP leaders, including Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

The North East Student Organization (NESO), a banner organization of 11 frontline student bodies in the region, had called for 11 hours bandh on Tuesday from 5 am to 4 pm in protest against the Centre’s bid to get the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 passed in the Parliament.

“The BJP government has grossly ignored the unabated vociferous protests being carried out by the people of Assam against the Citizenship Bill and made an all-out effort to get it passed in the winter session of the Parliament,” said Lakhya Jyoti Gogoi, the president of Tinsukia district unit of Chatra Mukti Sangram Samity. “We are not at all prepared to accept it,” he strongly added while demonstrating in Digboi where the effigy and banners of Digboi MLA and BJP leader Suren Phukan were torn to pieces. While the influential All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) launched a State-wide protest against the bill by observing ‘Black Day’, the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and 30 ethnic organizations joined the agitation.

LAKHIMPUR: The people of Lakhimpur district spontaneously opposed the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 by observing a comprehensive Assam bandh called by All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and 30 other organizations on Tuesday. The public places across the district, including North Lakhimpur, Dhakuakhona, Bihpuria, Narayanpur towns and the other township areas, turned completely deserted on the occasion of the bandh marking a sign of demand to scrap the Bill. This stand of the people of the district on the day was considered to be an utter disapproval towards the controversial bill which is regarded to be a crucial threat to the existence of the indigenous people of Assam and the Assamese language.

During the 11-hour long bandh, no commercial institution was open across the district and vehicles were not plying. Even the offices of the government departments were closed. The activists of Lakhimpur district unit of AASU, led by president Pulok Borah and secretary Dhanmoni Dutta, and the other organizations came out on the street to make the bandh successful. They strongly demanded to scrap off the bill burning tyres in front of the Lakhimpur district BJP office in North Lakhimpur town, and at Main Chariali, Khelmati, Town Bantow, DK Road and many other places within North Lakhimpur Municipal area. They hoisted black flag at the district BJP office. Another team of AASU activists, led by North Lakhimpur subdivision unit president Seemanta Das, blocked the railway tracks at Harmutty Station.

On the other hand, Ghana Gohain, the president of Pichala regional unit of Tai Ahom Yuva Parishad, initiated exceptional protest against the Bill. The activist of the organization scripted his protest with blood from his bosom at a protest programme on NH-15 at Bhogpur Chariali in the district.

Dibrugarh: The streets wore a complete deserted look on Tuesday following the 11-hour bandh called by many indigenous organizations, including AASU, in opposition to the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

All financial institutions and most of the educational institutions remained closed. All business establishments, including malls, remained shut. Given their life-saving nature, few pharmaceutical shops remained open. The bandh was not marked by any severe untoward incident but one. A group of protesters, while registering its protest against the bill, grew boisterous near Amolapatty Chariali near the BJP office there. The site of the protest was also close to the police station located there. As the situation grew worse, it had to be controlled by the police administration by exercising crowd dispersal methods. Many agitators were arrested too. However, in an impressive show of co-existence and pluralism, the vehicles and passengers heading for the Ishtema (religious congregation of Muslims), going on in Chaulkhowa, were not subjected to any kind of inconvenience.

TINSUKIA: After a gap of 10 years, the AASU sponsored 11-hour Assam bandh against the passage of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was total in Tinsukia district. Life came to a standstill in Panitola, Tinsukia, Digboi, Doomdooma, Margherita, Ledu and Jagun with all vehicles, other than of essential services, remaining off the road. The bandh also witnessed demonstration in front of residences of BJP MLAs, burning of tyres and effigies at various locations in the district.

AASU activists vandalized the office of DRM Tinsukia after employees of the office defied the bandh call and refused to shut down the office. The incoming air passengers of Tinsukia district and Arunachal Pradesh were stranded at Dibrugarh airport while Dn Ledu-Dibrugarh DEMU passenger train was stopped at Makum Jn. The activists of All Moran Students’ Union closed down all the OCS operated by OIL.

Also Read: ASSAM NEWS