‘Agitation not against Bengalis, it’s against CAB’ says Samujjal Bhattacharya

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: “Our agitation is not against Bengalis, nor against Hindus or Muslims. It’s against the Bangladeshis and the CAB (Citizenship Amendment Bill,” said AASU (All Assam Students’ Union) adviser-in-chief Samujjal Bhattacharya here on Thursday.

Breaking all police barricades and the locked gate the AASU (All Assam Students’ Union) and the artistes’ fraternity on Thursday held their meeting at Latasil playground here where litterateur Lakhminath Bezbaruah had formed the students’ body some 100 years back.

The meeting was scheduled to be started from 11 am when the playground was seen locked and manned only by police and other security personnel. No one was allowed to go near the playground, let alone entering it. In the meantime, a student of Cotton University lay down on the road near the playground and dared the security personnel to kill him. The security men did nothing. As if the scene instilled a sense of courage among other students who rushed to the gate in hordes breaking the barricades put up by the security personnel and the locked gate of the field as well. The local people in the area did not lag behind. They too came in hordes and entered the playground where AASU leaders and famed artistes of the State addressed a gathering of some thousands.

Addressing the gathering, Samujjal Bhattacharya said, “We, the people of the Northeast, will observe December 12 as a black day. We won’t tolerate lathi-charge on students by the police. We condemn such atrocities on students by the security personnel. Assam isn’t the property of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.”

Bhattacharya further said, “We’re not alone. People from all walks of life are with us. They’ve come out spontaneously. They want peace, but don’t want the CAB (Citizenship Amendment Bill). Our agitation is not against the Bengalis, nor against Hindus or Muslims. It’s against the Bangladeshis and the CAB. We won’t accept the CAB. We’ll go ahead with our non-violent and disciplined agitation against this anti-Assam Bill.”

The adviser of the students’ body made it clear that now on the agitation would continue without hampering the study of students. “The agitation and studies will go together now,” Bhattacharya said.

Retorting the Chief Minister’s recent statement that agitations are in nobody’s interests, Bhattacharya said, “It’s agitation that has made Sarbananda Sonowal the Chief Minister of Assam. He shouldn’t forget it.”

Speaking at the rally, singer Zubin Garg said, “Even if the government wants to go ahead with its programme with the Japanese Prime Minister, we the people of Assam won’t let that happen. No people from the State will come out to take part in the programme. We won’t accept the CAB. If need be, we’ll fight it out legally.”

The meeting was also attended by AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi, AJYCP (Asom Jatiyatabadi Juva-Chatra Parishad) general secretary Palash Changmai, actress Barsharani Bishoya, Manas Robin, Vidya Sagar, Madhurima Choudhury, Barnali Kalita, advocates Apurba Bora, advocate Nekibur Zaman, journalists Prasanta Rajguru, Ajit Bhuyan and others.

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