Government employees in Assam ceased work and many joined the gana satyagraha (mass protest) organised by All Assam Students’ Union and 30 indigenous groups against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on its third and concluding day on Wednesday, rendering government offices dysfunctional.

Sadou Asam Karmachari Parishad (SAKP) president Basab Kalita, who took the lead in Wednesday’s protest march in the city, said, “Today, for the first time in the last 15 years, state government employees have abstained from their office work in protest against CAA. Many joined the satyagraha protest across the state.”

On Tuesday, the state government had said that it would neither resort to pay cut nor restrict employees from participating in the ceasework called by the SAKP. Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government would adjust the day’s leave under the employees’ casual leave quota. However, he urged government employees, teachers and doctors not to participate in such movements during duty hours further. Kalita said, “We are not afraid of a pay cut. SAKP will continue to oppose CAA and will also stage protests in future. However, we will try not to hamper public work and teaching in educational institutes while staging our protests.”

The SAKP had raised objections against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill before the joint parliamentary committee, which visited the state in May 2018 to take people’s opinion on the bill.

Meanwhile, AASU warned the state government not to give communal colour to CAA protests. It said the protest was against all infiltrators, irrespective of religion, who entered Assam after March 24, 1971. “Certain forces, including a number of political parties, are trying to give communal colour to the anti-CAA movement. For us, a foreigner is a foreigner. We do not differentiate among them on the basis of religion,” AASU chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharjya said.

He also slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his comments on the Assamese people who were agitating abroad against CAA. In an election rally in Jharkhand recently, Modi had alleged that the agitation in London was backed by Pakistan.

AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said, “The movement is against the Centre’s attempt to divide foreigners on the basis of religion. We will continue to protest until CAA is withdrawn.”

The AASU and artistes denounced the state government’s recent announcement of providing a one-time grant of Rs 50,000 to 2,000 artistes and technicians of the state under a scheme.

Popular Assamese film actor Amrita Gogoi, who joined the protest on Wednesday, said, “It’s a shame. The state government is trying to weaken the movement against CAA with appeasement politics. But the people of Assam are not fools to take the bait.”

In Dibrugarh town, nearly 12,000 people, including government staff, assembled at Chowkidinghee playground to participate in the gana satyagraha. Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s home district has been witnessing daily agitations with thousands of people hitting the streets every day since the bill to amend Citizenship Act, 1955 was introduced in Parliament.

Several organisations, including the Assam Lekhika Sanstha, Asam Sahitya Sabha, Bongobhasi Asomiya Samaj, Dibrugarh Zilla Mandal Kanungo Santha and the Dibrugarh District Administration Employees’ Union, participated in the protest. Government employees abstained from work in response to SAKP’s call for a daylong strike and joined the protest at Chowkidinghee playground. Many employees squatted in front of the deputy commissioner’s office and waved anti-CAA placards and banners.

At Lahowal, about 10km from Dibrugarh town, more than 10,000 people, including tea community people and civil society leaders, staged a mass protest. Curfew was relaxed in Dibrugarh district from 6am till 8pm.

In Golaghat district, thousands came out to join the gana satyagraha organised by the All Golaghat District Students’ Union, a district branch of the AASU. The protesters took out a procession from the AASU’s office to the deputy commissioner’s office. At least 73 organisations, including the Golaghat Citizen Forum, Satra Mahasabha, Golaghat Lawyers’ Association, AJYCP, Women’s Forum, All Assam Employees’ Association, Golaghat District ME School Association, the Golaghat zonal committee of Assam College Teachers’ Association (though ACTA, the parent body, is silent) and several AGP leaders took part in the protest. The peaceful gathering was led by AASU leaders Monower Hussain, Abhibartan Goswami, Niranjan Sonowal and Prince Doley.

Hussain, assistant general secretary of AASU and adviser of AGDSU, said they would continue to protest. “We will not withdraw our demand to scrap the CAA and intensify our agitation against the BJP-led government. We hope the apex court of the country will do justice to the Assamese people.”

The teachers, employees and students of DKD College Dergaon registered their protest on the college premises.

In Tinsukia district, over 15,000 people took part in a rally.

In Jorhat district, around 3,000 people hit the road from Jorhat stadium to Court Field. Many LICI and BSNL employees boycotted work and joined the protest.

In Nagaon district, a massive gathering, led by artistes, staged a protest. Police arrested two persons, Mohammad Jalal of Rupahi Ali and Bhim Das of Tarajan, on charges of inciting violence.

In Hailakandi district in Barak Valley, police detained about 50 persons for trying to block the Assam-Mizoram highway in the morning.

With the conclusion of satyagraha, AASU announced its next line of protests. It will support a protest by artistes at Chandmari in Guwahati on Thursday and one by women in the city on December 21. “On December 23, there will be citizens’ protest followed by protest marches across the state on December 24, 26 and 28. Meantime, our padayatra rallies will continue in the blocks across the state,” Lurinjyoti said.

Though normalcy returned to the capital city, mobile Internet services continued to remain suspended. At least one flight was cancelled in Guwahati while over 40 trains of the Northeast Frontier Railway were affected on Wednesday.

Additional reporting by Avik Chakraborty in Dibrugarh and Sanjoy Hazarika in Bokakhat