Demand to scrap Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, hike wages

A Correspondent

Dibrugarh, June 9: Members of Chah Mazdoor Congress staged a sit-in at Chowkidinghee on June 8 to register their protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, as well as to voice some other demands.

Members of the organization opined that the proposed bill would be suicidal, for it would deeply hurt the interests of the Assamese society. As such, they demanded instant revocation of the bill. Moreover, the demand of increasing the daily wage of tea garden labourers to Rs. 350 was also made by the agitators. The members, who started the protest from 11 am, raised several slogans.

Participating in the protests, president of Dibrugarh District Congress as well as someone having a long association with Chah Mazdoor Sangh, Etuwa Munda asserted that the Union Government was trying to trample the sentiments and emotions of the Assamese people by pushing for the controversial bill. He also questioned the State Government as to why it could not muster courage and show opposition to the proposed bill, especially when the Meghalaya Government could do so. The protesters, at the end of the sit-in, submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal regarding their demands.