Asam Sahitya Sabha’s Doomdooma unit, in a public meeting organised on its premises here on the literary body’s 102nd foundation day on Friday, pledged to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in keeping with a resolution adopted by its central committee.
The programme started with flag hoisting by the Sabha’s Doomdooma unit president Arjun Barua. Its general secretary Deben Deka paid homage to Assam Agitation martyrs and Sabha founders Padmanath Gohain Boruah and Lakshminath Bezbaroa. The litterateurs present also paid homage to the two literary legends. Senior social worker Dharma Gogoi lit the lamp.
The meeting was anchored by Deka and addressed by intellectuals who demanded withdrawal of CAA. Among those present were essayist and professor Shivajit Dutt, teachers Mrigen Saikia and Dilip Prasad, social workers Govind Phukan and Bornali Shyam and All Moran Students Union regional president Jaykanta Moran.
The gathering raised slogans like Nagriktva aain batil korok (Scrap citizenship law), CAA aami namanu (We will not accept CAA) and Jai Aai Axom (Glory to mother Assam).
A participant said, “We will never accept this unconstitutional and communal Act. The secular and democratic character of the Constitution should remain intact.”
Another participant said, “This act will destroy our language, culture and tradition.”
The Sabha’s women’s wing recited poems, sang songs and presented other cultural programmes based on CAA.
On Saturday, all the 44 Jatiya Vidyalayas in Tinsukia will stage a sit-in against CAA from 10am till 2pm, Jatiya Vidyalayas coordination committee president Someswar Moran stated on Friday. All teachers, students, guardians and management committee members will stage the sit-in in their respective schools. The programme will get under way with homage to martyrs and a silent prayer and will conclude with the state anthem, O Mur Apunar Dex (O my mother land).
Bandh called off: The Krishak Shramik Unnayan Parishad (KSUP), Assam, has cancelled its 12-hour anti-CAA statewide bandh on December 30. “Respecting the calls of universities, colleges and examinees and keeping in view the All Assam Students’ Union’s protests at Morigaon, Tinsukia and other places on the same day, we have taken this decision. However, a three-hour sit-in will be held on the day,” KSUP president Pradip Kalita told The Telegraph.