Assam: AJYCP stages protest demanding repeal of CAA, martyr status for 5

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba-Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) on Thursday staged a three-hour silent sit-in across the state demanding the repeal of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and official recognition of the five protesters killed during the anti-CAA agitation as martyrs. Members of district units observed the programme at their respective headquarters, covering their faces with black cloth as a mark of protest.

In a press statement issued after the programme, AJYCP president Palash Changmai and general secretary Bijan Bayan said the state government had recently shown “dual standards” in its activities concerning the martyrs. They stated that while any honour extended to martyrs was welcome, attempts to display concern without respecting their ideals amounted to “political posturing.” They warned that any action that undermined the ideals and sacrifices of the martyrs would face opposition from the organization.

The statement reminded the government that 860 Assamese people had sacrificed their lives during the historic Assam Movement to free the state from foreigners and protect Assamese culture and civilization. It said it was “regrettable” that the BJP-led government at the Centre and the state had passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha on December 10, 2019—observed as Martyrs’ Day—and in the Rajya Sabha the following day, thereby violating the spirit of that sacrifice.

AJYCP alleged that the same government, which had suppressed public protest against the Act, was responsible for the deaths of five Assamese youth during the 2019 anti-CAA agitation. Despite this, the government had yet to confer martyr status on them, which the Council described as “deeply unfortunate.”

Changmai and Bayan also criticized successive governments for failing to implement the Assam Accord. They recalled that the BJP came to power promising full implementation of the Accord but, instead of carrying out its commitments, had taken steps that ran counter to its provisions. They alleged that through the CAA, the government intended to permanently settle foreigners in Assam, thereby endangering the future of the Assamese people.

Also Read: AJYCP Sit-in in Margherita: Demand to Scrap CAA Renewed