All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) stages protest against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Sivasagar

SIVASAGAR/JOYSAGAR: The Sivasagar district unit of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) staged a demonstration in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Sivasagar on Saturday in protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central Government’s move to grant Indian citizenship to illegal migrants, including Hindu Bangladeshis, by implementing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016.

The protesters demanded immediate withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, constitutional safeguard to the indigenous people of Assam on the basis of the Assam Accord, implementation of the Assam Accord and sealing of India-Bangladesh border.The protesters took out a protest rally against the Bill from Boarding Field and gathered in front of the DC’s office. The protesters also shouted slogans like ‘Denounce the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016’, ‘Hindu Bangladeshis Go Back’ and ‘BJP Government hai-hai’ during the protest.AASU leaders Sarat Hazarika and Manik Gogoi, members of Sivasagar district and regional unit AASU along with the representatives of various other organizations and students joined the protest programme.Speaking at the protest rally, Manik Gogoi said, “The Sarbananda Sonowal-led BJP government came to power in Assam riding on promises of change. But, surprisingly nothing has changed in the last two years. The illegal Bangladeshis are supposed to leave the State, it did not happen. The indigenous people are supposed to get constitutional safeguard, again, nothing happened,” he said.

A Correspondent adds from Dibrugarh: Members of the district committee of AASU, along with 28 other indigenous organizations, took out a rally in protest of the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 on Saturday.The procession started from the Chowkidinghee Field and ended at Thanacharali. Upon reaching Thanacharali, the agitators numbering around 1,000 intensified their protests, crying slogans against the said bill. At the same time, they demanded the arrest of any government representative, especially Shiladitya Dev, who was making unsavoury remarks that could lead to communal unrest in the otherwise harmonious Assamese society. Taking pot shots at the government, the protesters questioned as to why the government had not initiated strict measures against the government representatives passing such spiteful, inflammatory and insensitive comments till now, when it could easily arrest pro-talk ULFA leaders Jiten Dutta and Mrinal Hazarika for making provocative statements.

A Correspondent adds from Golaghat: The Golaghat AASU along with 28 ethnic organizations carried out a protest rally on Saturday against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Golaghat. The rally started from the office of the Golaghat AASU through Golaghat town and a protest meeting was held at the town market. The activists raised various slogans against the BJP government as well as Sarbananda Sonowal-led State Government.Taking part in the protest, the leaders of various organizations like ATASU, All Bodo Students’ Union, District Sahitya Sabha, Muslim Kalyan Parishad and noted persons of Golaghat criticized the Sonowal government and demanded that the government should respect the people of Assam by opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

A Correspondent adds from Morigaon: The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Morigaon unit, supported by nine ethnic organizations of the district on Saturday staged a protest against the BJP-led State Government for its move to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.The organizations led by Himangsu Mahanta, president of Morigaon AASU, staged a protest at Bihutoli ground. More than 500 members of various ethnic organizations took part.

A Correspondent adds from Lakhimpur: As per the initiative taken by the central committee of AASU and 28 ethnic organizations, the Lakhimpur district bodies rocked the district headquarter by staging ‘Sakiyani Bikhsyobh’ on Saturday against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.The district unit of the organizations jointly took out a rally against the controversial nill covering North Lakhimpur town. Leading the protest, Lakhimpur district AASU president Pulok Jyoti Borah and secretary Dhanmoni Dutta vowed that the fight against the Bill by AASU and the 28 organizations would not cease until and unless the Bill was scrapped off. Both the leaders severely flayed Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for his mysterious silence over the Bill. They said that Sonowal had deified the emotion of the Assamese which was an extreme betrayal to the community.