Eminent Assamese film director and international awardee Jahnu Barua joined a Gana Hunkar (people’s roar) rally in this Upper Assam town on Monday to demand scrapping of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

“The people of Assam never get anything from the government if they do not demonstrate. When I was in school, I had demonstrated demanding construction of the Brahmaputra bridge. Later, I demonstrated for protection of Assamese language and deportation of illegal immigrants,” Baruah told a gathering on the premises of Bordubi Higher Secondary School.

Nearly 1,500 people from several villages of Tinsukia district attended the rally organised by the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and 30 indigenous groups.

Barua alleged that the people of no other state, except Assam, had to protest for their genuine demands. He alleged that this was because of the weakness of the state leaders who were being controlled by the Centre.

Citing an example, he said the people of Maharashtra can get their demands fulfilled because of their strong leaders.

The central leaders cannot force them to implement any unfavourable law or anything else without their prior consent, he added.

He asked the people how was it possible for the government to give rice at Rs 1 per kg, the cheapest rate in the world?

He alleged that the scheme was meant to lure the people for their votes and asked them not to cast their votes for such a party.

Gauhati High Court advocate and social activist Arup Borborah alleged that central BJP leaders had forgotten their promises made to the people of Assam during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

He said the “BJP and its allies at the Centre and in the state could sell sour mangoes only once, not always”. He said the people of Assam would give a proper reply to them in the 2021 Assembly election.

AASU’s Tinsukia district unit secretary Samar Jyoti Gohain, former AASU member Binoy Dubey, AJYCP’s Tinsukia district unit president Surajit Moran, All Tea Tribes Students’ Association’s Tinsukia district secretary Pronab Kurmi and former professor of English in Tinsukia Women’s College, Uttom Duarah, also spoke against CAA at the rally.

At another Gana Hunkar rally organised by the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), one of the 31 organisations, at Titabar in Jorhat district, its secretary Palash Changmai criticised the Centre and the state government for supporting CAA.

AASU state organising secretary Jul Khound appealed to the people of Assam to remain united in their fight for scrapping of the Act.

Artistes Prasenjit Lahon and Mahendra Chutia sang patriotic songs, asking the people to save jati, mati, bheti of the greater Assamese society, and the people followed the tune. Nearly 2,000 people from Titabar subdivision participated in the rally.

Additional reporting by Devajit Baruah in Jorhat