The district units of All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and 30 other organisations staged a 10-hour hunger strike from 6am across the state on Monday in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

This is a part of the series of agitations announced by AASU from January 31, when the budget session of the Rajya Sabha began.

In Guwahati, the office-bearers of AASU’s Guwahati and Kamrup units and the central committee and representatives of the other organisations staged a hunger strike at Dighalipukhuri.

Rajmil Ali, president of All Guwahati Students’ Union, the city unit of AASU, said, “We warn the Centre to scrap the bill. We will not let it happen. We will not stop till the government scraps the bill.”

In Dhemaji district of Upper Assam, where AASU staged hunger strikes at various places, the All Assam Bhojpuri Parishad’s district unit secretary Devanand Singh joined them at Dimow under Sissiborgaon circle.

An old woman participates in the strike in Demow and (below) protesters in Sivasagar on Monday. Pictures by UB Photos

When contacted, Singh told The Telegraph that they were with the indigenous people of Assam. “Assam is burning today. Assamese identity and culture is facing a crisis. At this vulnerable time, the Assam government is only thinking of votes. We condemn it. The government is responsible for the deteriorating situation in the state,” he said.

In Tinsukia, the AASU-led organisations staged hunger strikes at 11 places. AASU district president Binoy Dubey demanded immediate scrapping of the bill and release of its arrested members.

“Our protest is also against police atrocities on our members,” he said.

Police had arrested six persons, including AASU members, in a case related to manhandling of Tinsukia BJP president Lakheswar Moran on January 31.

Senior AASU leaders are lobbying with political parties in New Delhi to oppose the bill in the Rajya Sabha. A delegation of North East Students’ Organisation (Neso), the umbrella association of all the major student organisations of the region, has already met leaders of parties in the capital in the last couple of days.

With additional reporting by Vinod Kumar Singh in Dhemaji, Rishu Kalantri in Tinsukia, Kulendu Kalita in Boko, Pradip Kr Neog in Dukiajan and Sanjoy Hazarika in Bokakhat