The Dibrugarh unit of the All Assam Students’ Union, along with 30 other organisations, staged the Khilonjiar Xokioni (warning by the indigenous people) to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, at Nagaon public playground under Naharkatia constituency in Upper Assam here on Thursday.

The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) staged a statewide rail blockade against the “anti-Assam, anti-Northeast” bill.

Thousands of people, including students, took part in the AASU protest.

Addressing the gathering, AASU’s general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said, “The Supreme Court has been updating the National Register of Citizens to deport the country’s illegal citizens after 32 years since the Assam Accord was signed. The Centre, at the same time, is trying to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019.”

“The bill was passed in the lower House and now the Centre is trying to get it passed in the Upper House, too, by hook or by crook,” he added.

The AASU leader said if the bill is passed, the people of Assam would lose their indigenous culture and identity. “Therefore, we want the bill to be scrapped immediately. We can’t take the additional burden of illegal migrants who came to Assam after March 24, 1971, and have been staying here illegally.”

He appealed to the people of Assam to vote against the BJP in the general elections. The AASU leader alleged that the BJP has lost the trust of the state’s indigenous population. He added that the Centre is trying to belittle the sacrifice of the Assam Movement’s martyrs by trying to get the bill passed.

Lurinjyoti threatened to intensify their protests until the bill is scrapped. Train services were disrupted for an hour across the state owing to the rail blockade.

At least 10 trains under the jurisdiction of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) in Assam were either detained or halted at several stations for around 20 minutes to an hour. No train was cancelled.

Vice-president of the AJYCP’s Guwahati unit Sanjib Bora said, “Our agitation against the bill will continue. We will compel the BJP government to scrap the bill.” Police detained several protesters across the city during the blockade.

NFR chief public relations officer Pranab Jyoti Sharma said, “Services were restored after the blockade was lifted. The Naharlagun–New Tinsukia Express, Naharlagun–Guwahati Shatabdi Express, Rangiya–Dibrugarh Express, Dibrugarh–Delhi Brahmaputra Mail and the Dibrugah-Rangiya Express ran late owing to the blockade.

The AJYCP, along with the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, is spearheading the protest against the bill with 68 other organisations, while the AASU is heading the agitation with 30 groups.