Thousands of women hit the streets at Chabua, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s native place, in Dibrugarh district and at Doomdooma town in Tinsukia district in Upper Assam on Thursday in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
The protesters came from all corners of the two districts, including Sonowal’s birthplace Muluk Gaon under Chabua revenue circle.
At Chabua, the protesters later assembled at Young Blue Club playground to participate in the Janatar Hokiyoni (citizens’ warning) rally organised by the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU). The participants, including students, intellectuals, lawyers, artistes, doctors, writers, senior citizens, employees and journalists, vowed to continue the agitation until the CAA is scrapped.
Addressing the rally, AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi reiterated that CAA was not acceptable to the people of Assam and the state could not shoulder the burden of even a single Bangladeshi, Hindu or Muslim, entering the state after 1971. He said the success of the rally proved that the people were against CAA and that the government’s efforts to dilute the protest by offering sops had not succeeded. He said CAA, which allows citizenship to immigrants who entered the country till December 31, 2014 on the basis of religion, violates the Assam Accord of 1985 which specifically mentions that all illegal immigrants, irrespective of religion, who came to Assam after March 24, 1971, shall be detected and deported from the state.
“The Centre has imposed CAA on Assam without the people’s consent. The indigenous people of Assam will not live as second-class citizens. Assam has accepted immigrants from Bangladesh till 1971 and cannot take the burden of even one more person. All illegal immigrants who have entered the state after March 24, 1971 should be identified and deported. There is no question of welcoming even a single illegal immigrant, be it Hindu, Muslim, Christian or any other religion. CAA will convert the indigenous people of Assam into minorities in their own state. Our movement will continue till the law is scrapped. We will fight it till the end,” he said.
Lurinjyoti also alleged that Sonowal was only concerned about “securing his chair through the votes of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh”.
Anti-CAA protesters had recently shown black flags to Assam BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass at Chabua while he was on his way to meet Chabua MLA Binod Hazarika, whose house had been burnt during anti-CAA protests on December 12.
In Doomdooma town, thousands of women participated in a rally called by Jatiya Mahila Parishad, the women’s wing of Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), against CAA.
“The Assamese people are known for their unity, wisdom and bravery. United like a family, we will keep protesting against the Act till it is withdrawn,” Parishad general secretary Biswarupa Neog said.
Assam Bhojpuri Sanjukta Mancha, an umbrella body of Bhojpuri organisations, also staged a three-hour demonstration from 11am against the Act in front of the district library in the town.
“The Bhojpuri community of Assam, which has been living in the state for ages, is a part and parcel of the greater Assamese society. We stand with the state and its people. We will never accept the Act,” said Kailash Gupta, a Bhojpuri leader. Thousands of people from all walks of life in Upper Assam have been protesting against the “unconstitutional” and “anti-Assam” Act to save the identity, language and culture of the state.
“We are worried that the Act will help lakhs of Bangladeshi Hindus settle in Assam, posing a threat to our language, land and culture,” Prakhant Saikia, 19, said.
Renu Choudhary, 44, a homemaker, said, “I have been taking part in the anti-CAA movement since it started last month. There is a great crisis of existence. We have to fight the destructive Act.”
CAA aims to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who entered India after facing religious persecution there before December 31, 2014.
Additional reporting by Manoj Kumar Ojha in Doomdooma