AASU’s ‘Janatar Garjan’ to protest against Citizenship Amendment Act draws huge crowds

CORRESPONDENTS

DIBRUGARH/TEZPUR: Around one lakh people gathered at the Chowkidinghee Field on Tuesday under the banner of the ‘Janatar Garjan’ programme called by AASU and other indigenous organizations to peacefully protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Addressing the huge gathering, AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said that the CAA would never be accepted by the Assamese people as it would pose a grave threat to the Assamese language, culture, art and identity. He pointed out that “the democratic struggle would go on unabated until the Act is scrapped”.

Prominent Assamese artiste Neel Akash also joined the protest programme and took the lead while the gathering rendered the State Anthem, “O’ Mor Aponar Dekh”. Various other artistes, academicians and litterateurs participated in the democratic agitation with their performances or speeches. Former president of Axam Xahitya Xabha (AXX) Dr Nagen Saikia spoke against the contentious act. Senior radio artiste Syed Sadullah expressed his happiness that people from all backgrounds and religions had gathered to show their solidarity for the cause.

TEZPUR: Members of the AASU along with 30 organizations, different ethnic groups, cultural activists, academicians and senior citizens organized a peaceful demonstration against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at the Nehru Maidan in Tezpur on Tuesday.

Around 3,000 people of greater Tezpur with leaflets, placards and banners shouted slogans against the CAA. Addressing the gathering, All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya said, “Since the Congress had broken the Assam Accord and implemented IMDT Act to bring illegal immigrants into Assam, so now the BJP government passed CAA on Swahid Divas to have majority in the Parliament. But we will never accept CAA. Assam will not shoulder the burden of more illegal immigrants coming to the State after March 25, 1971, be it Hindus or Muslims. The BJP government is doing divide-and-rule policy by announcing various packages for the ethnic groups of Assam. But people will continue to protest against CAA till it is scrapped.”

He further said, “The Assam Government has announced that it will provide Rs. 50,000 to 2,000 artiste of the State but this is a policy of the government to dominate the artistes and suppress their voice against CAA. In India, people are protesting against the CAA for only one reason - that is based on religion. But in Assam we are fighting for two reasons - one we not accept this Act on the basis of religion and second, it violates the Assam Accord and provides citizenship to all illegal migrants from 1971 to 2014. The North East Students’ Organization (NESO) proves that the Northeast is politically divided into seven States but mentally and emotionally it is one.”

AASU president Dipanka Kumar Nath said, “In Assam 48 per cent people speak Assamese. If we take illegal immigrants coming after 1971 to 2014 then the indigenous Assamese people will become minority in Assam.”

Among the leaders present were NESO chairman Samuel Jyrwa, AJYCP president Rana Pratap Barma, Sadao Asom Karmchori Parasiad president Basab Kalita and others.

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