Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 stir continues across Lakhimpur district

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: Strong and relentless stir against contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) continued across Lakhimpur district on Wednesday too. In addition to the multiple anti-CAA organizations, the common people of the district have been seen taking to the streets demanding the scrapping of the controversial Act slamming the BJP-led governments in the Centre and the State.

The Lakhimpur District Xahitya Xabha (LDXX) demonstrated to protest against the Act by initiating a two-hour-long sit-in in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Wednesday. The agitation programme was organized in connection with the Chetana Divas on the occasion of the birthday of Axom Xahitya Xabha (AXX) former president Ambika Giri Raichoudhuri who protested in 1950 against the then government’s move to grant citizenship to a certain section of Bangladeshi foreigners in Assam.

Commemorating the relevant warnings, the speakers in the protest programme came down heavily against the Union Government’s moves adopted to forcefully impose Hindu foreigners in Assam by granting Indian citizenship. In this regard, LDXX president Sapon Kumar Dutta, vice president Umananda Baruah, former president Niran Kumar Borah, AXX state member Dayananda Goswami, teacher-social activist Manoranjan Das along with many other dignitaries severely criticized Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for standing in support of a ‘community destructive’ Act. The speakers slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah for their ‘adamant’ attitude to enforce the Act in the State against the interest of the people ignoring the extensive mass protest programmes staged in the entire North-East region opposing the Act.

The Lakhimpur district unit of the Chutia Jati Sanmilan also initiated a sit-in demonstration in front of the DC office demanding the scrapping of the Act. In addition to the activists of the Lakhimpur district Chutia Jati Yuva Sanmilan, Mahila Sanmilan, Students’ Union, common people also took part in the protest programme.

Similarly, the Lakhimpur district body of the All Assam District Administration Employee’s Union staged three-hour-long sit-in in front of the DC office against the controversial Act wearing the black badge as per instruction from the central committee. All the employees of the DC office and Circle offices took part in the agitation programme. District unit president of the union Gopinath Dutta stated that the CAA would tremendously affect the demography, language, and culture of the State. He further stated that Assam would not accept the excess burden of foreigners coming to the State between 1971 and 2014 and appealed to all to protest against the Act under the leadership of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU).

Demanding the scrapping of the Act, the Laluk-Naoboicha regional body of Srimanta Sankardeva Sangha also took out a mega protest rally covering Laluk and Naoboicha area. Several thousands of people, spontaneously joining in the agitation programme, rocked the environment by shouting slogans in order to slam the governments in the Centre and the State.

Several hundred people of Bormuria Tiniali of North Lakhimpur town, irrespective of their ages and profession also took out a protest rally in the town demanding the scrapping of the Act. Then the protesters demonstrated dharna in front of the DC office slamming the Union and State governments by shouting the multiple numbers of slogans regarding the issue.

The Lakhimpur district unit of AASU has also continued anti-CAA movements across the district. All the regional units of the district body of the organization organized awareness campaigns, foot marches (Pada-Yatra) in order to sensitize the common masses against the threats to be caused by Act. The North Lakhimpur regional unit of AASU conducted a Sur Bahini in association with the artistes of the district in a view to aware the people against the Act in North Lakhimpur area. Started on Wednesday, the program will be continuing for several days to come.

On the other hand, the Dhakuakhana district body of the Srimanta Sankardeva Sangha also administered an extensive protest programme against CAA. Thousands of members of the organizations, representing its Subansiri, Pachim Dhakuakhana, Dhakuakhana headquarter, Pachim Machkhowa, Dakhin Gohain, took part in the protest programme organized at the Dhakuakhana Govt. MV School premises. The protesters demonstrated their protest against the Act by blowing daba, sankha and presenting naam-kirtan from 11 am to 4 pm.

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