In ancient India, conch shells were blown to announce the start of a battle. On Thursday, sounds of conch shells and other traditional Assamese musical instruments like the doba, dhol, khol, taal and flute echoed across the state as the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) announced its Ronosingha (war trumpet) protest.

Artistes, artists, 30 indigenous groups, indigenous Muslim organisations, women’s groups, leading citizens, government employees and students stood by AASU as it staged the “unique” statewide agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

In Guwahati, the AASU leadership and singer Zubeen Garg took the lead, reiterating their demand for withdrawal of the “anti-Assam, anti-Northeast and unconstitutional” Act.

AASU chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharjya, who accompanied the musicians by playing dhol, said, “People’s cry against CAA has failed to pierce the ears of our leaders, our government. We hope the sounds of these ethnic musical instruments will be heard and the government will withdraw CAA.”

He said, “The government has failed to understand people’s agony. We believe in Gandhian philosophy and, therefore, have staged this unique protest as we want to be heard. Peaceful protests like this will continue until the ultimate goal of safeguarding the constitutional rights of the indigenous people of the state is secured by getting the Act repealed.”

AASU president Dipanka Nath, who played taal (cymbals), said, “This movement will continue until this government is uprooted. A torchlight rally will be held in the state on Saturday.”

Zubeen said, “Protests against CAA will continue as the people of Assam have decided to fight till the law is scrapped. We are trying all possible ways to awaken this government from its slumber. We will bring more unique protests in the coming days.”

Shilpi Samaj will stage a torchlight rally against CAA and the violence on Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus in the city on Friday evening.

In Dhemaji district in Upper Assam, too, thousands joined Ronosingha, one of AASU’s series of anti-CAA agitations. It was jointly organised by the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP). Artistes and women participated in large numbers as has been witnessed in all the anti-CAA agitations.

Addressing the mammoth rally, AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi, who has been leading the CAA protest in the state, reiterated that the agitation would continue till the legislation is withdrawn.

“I would like to warn the BJP government once again that the people will never accept the Act. Assam is not a dumping ground for illegal migrants from Bangladesh. We have made it crystal clear that we will not accept any foreigner, Hindu or Muslim, who entered the state after 1971. The CAA is against the spirit of the 1985 Assam Accord. It is against the self-respect of the Assamese people. We will fight till our last breath to defeat it. The betrayal by the Centre and the Sarbananda Sonowal government will not be forgotten. People will give them a befitting reply in time,” he said.

AJYCP general secretary Palash Jyoti Changmai called for scrapping of the Act and implementation of inner-line permit (ILP).

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah should understand that the self-respect of the Assamese people can never be defeated. We will never accept CAA. We need constitutional safeguards to secure the future of the locals. If Manipur and Meghalaya can get inner-line permit, why can’t Assam? The threats from external influx and internal migration cannot be avoided unless the state has ILP,” he said.

Duliajan town in Dibrugrah district in Upper Assam and Udalguri district in lower Assam also witnessed a good turnout.

The AJYCP’s Duliajan unit secretary, Pallab Gogoi, urged the Union and state governments not to divide the people of Assam. The speakers criticised the state BJP leaders for supporting CAA and luring people with doles at peace rallies.

At Tangla town in Udalguri, AASU assistant general secretary Jayanta Bhattacharya said the protest was meant to “awaken the soul of the governments at Delhi and Dispur”.

He said they would never “bow down before the communal forces in Delhi and Nagpur and not accept the Act at any cost”.

In Jorhat town, hundreds of people participated in a rally that traversed the thoroughfare. A carnival spirit prevailed as the sounds of traditional musical instruments and slogans resounded in the town.

Additional reporting by Avik Chakraborty in Dibrugarh, Pradip Kumar Neog in Duliajan, Shajid Khan in Udalguri and Devajit Baruah in Jorhat