An unbelievable 548km journey is on, on foot! And all this to oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

From the eastern-most corner of Upper Assam at Dirak near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border in Tinsukia district to Janata Bhavan at Dispur in central Guwahati to know directly from the state government whether introducing the “anti-Assam” act was necessary. The group that initiated the journey on December 20 reached Morigaon on Sunday morning.

“The state and the Centre imposed the Act on us. To express our opposition, we have started the padayatra from Dirak to Dispur. We want to ask a few questions to our chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at Janata Bhavan in Guwahati. We are getting full cooperation from local people wherever we halt. The police administration helps us too. At night, we take little rest and during the day, we try to cover as much distance as we can. Also, we sit and discuss with people on our way and talk about the Act and its effects. We urge everyone to come forward and join us in our movement against the Act. Our protest will continue if their answers do not convince us,” said Hrishikesh Hazarika, a participant of the padayatra, seeking the Act to be withdrawn.

“We pay homage to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the sake of their motherland. Our main objective is to preserve our language, culture, heritage and tradition. The next generation must not suffer because of this Act. The sons of the soil should not turn martyrs anymore. I urge the chief minister to take steps to ensure this. I want to tell him that please don’t sell our language, culture and tradition. Safeguard our existence. Our fundamental rights should not be snatched. When the Act is being opposed across the country, how it can be good for Assam and its people?” asked Mamoni Baruah, another participant.

Since its introduction earlier this month, the people of Assam from all walks of life have been protesting the Act in varied ways.