A day ahead of the Supreme Court’s hearing on the constitutional validity of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), petitioners from Assam hoped for a stay order on implementation of the contentious Act.
The top court will on Wednesday examine the petitions filed by organisations and individuals from across the country against CAA, which promises citizenship to members of six non-Muslim communities from three neighbouring countries who had entered India before December 31, 2014 because of alleged religious persecution. The petitioners have put forward numerous arguments regarding how CAA is harmful for Assam. S. Tapadar, lawyer for All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and Assam State Jamiat Ulama, two petitioners, said so far 69 petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court, including 19 from Assam, against CAA.
“Since the matter is very sensitive, we hope the court will give a stay order on the implementation of the Act,” said Debabrata Saikia, leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, who had filed a petition along with Barpeta MP Abdul Khaleque and Mariani MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi.
The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), another petitioner, was also optimistic of getting a stay order, “Last time, the court had refused to give a stay order as the gazette notification of the Act was not out. Since the Centre has now issued the gazette notification, we are hopeful of getting a stay order from the court,” AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said.
The Advocates’ Association for Indigenous Rights of Assamese, one of the petitioners, prayed to the court for exempting Assam from implementation of the Act. Most of the petitioners from Assam reached New Delhi by Tuesday.
A day before the hearing, Assam continued to protest against CAA while Union home minister Amit Shah asserted that the Centre would not roll back CAA at any cost, irrespective of protests.
In Tinsukia district, AASU’s Tinsukia unit secretary Samar Jyoti Gohain said, “The people of Assam will never accept CAA. We conveyed this message today through Mangal Dhwani programme by Vaishnav devotees.”
Mangal Dhwani was staged by Mayamara Kala-Kristi Samanvya Sam-aj, Borguri Students’ Union and Borguri Anchalik Yuba Sangha to protest against CAA by observing religious rituals. The participants chanted Shrimad Bhagawad Mahapurana, sang religious songs and offered prayers for withdrawal of the Act.
The All Assam Chutia Students’ Union hoped the Supreme Court would address the “unconstitutional and contentious CAA” and its adverse effect on the indigenous people of Assam and the Northeast.
“The CAA, which has been imposed upon us by the BJP government, must be scrapped. We will stage a 12-hour fast in front of the deputy commissioner’s office if the CAA is not scrapped. We will not accept the statements made by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and state minister Himanta Biswa Sarma about CAA,” AACSU president Horen Saikia told The Telegraph.
During the day, AACSU staged a five-hour hunger strike against CAA at Phillobari Thana Chariali, 24km from Tinsukia town. The protest was supported by the AASU, All Moran Students’ Union, 30 other indigenous organisations and locals.
Additional reporting by Manoj Kumar Ojha in Doomdooma
