A Correspondent
TANGLA: The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) staged a musical protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at Tangla town in the Udalguri district on Thursday. Assamese folk musical instruments, including pepa, dhol, and nagaras symbolizing battle drums were used in the protest held for two hours attended by hundreds of protesters.
AASU assistant general secretary Jayanta Kumar Bhattacharya said the protest titled ‘Ranasinga’ was an effort to awaken the soul of the governments in Delhi and Dispur which had not reciprocated the sentiments of the people and forcefully imposed the Act which was detrimental to the cause of the indigenous people. He further said, “The government may be a lapdog but we will never bow down before the communal forces of Delhi and Nagpur and will not accept the Act at any cost.”
Tangla regional unit AASU president Pranjal Deka said, “The Act has engulfed our State in a cloud of darkness and everyone who loves Assam must come forward and protest and resonate the air with the slogan Tumi Jodi Axomia Amar Lagat jug dia (If you are an Assamese join us).” He further said, “The people of Assam have been betrayed and every voter must be conscious and cautious in exercising their franchise in the forthcoming polls and oust the BJP government.”
“The people have understood the divisive politics of the government which is hell-bent to establish the foreigners. We are united to establish the legacy of the Assamese in the world platform,” he added.
Udalguri chapter Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) vice-president Niloy Chaliha said, “We had great hopes in the Sarbananda Sonowal-led government but it is unfortunate that he himself has lost his voice and is acting like a puppet of Delhi and Nagpur-led forces.” He further said the divisive politics of religion would not deter the people living in Assam which was the land of Sankar-Azan.
He also opined that the people would give a befitting reply to Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) in the forthcoming council polls of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) and the BJP in the assembly polls of 2021. “If the communal forces are not ousted, the interest of the indigenous people can never be secure,” he added.
Ranjana Sarmah Baruah, a woman participating in the protest, said, “Through the amendment in the citizenship act, the government has attacked the soul of the people of Assam and we will never accept this. That is why people from all walks of life, old and young, have gathered here. People don’t want this law and the sooner the government understands our words it will be better on their part.”
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