Leading organisations and citizens’ groups in Assam on Saturday not only paid tributes to the five martyrs of the anti-CAA movement in the state but also staged protests and meetings seeking the repeal of the contentious law, a high level probe into the deaths and release of anti-CAA activists.
The All Assam Students Union (AASU), Kriskak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), Coordination Committee Against Citizenship Amendment Act (CCACAA), Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad and Lachit Sena were among the organisations that marked the death anniversary of the martyrs with a renewed pledge to carry on the fight against the “anti-Assam” and “unconstitutional” CAA, which is seen as a threat to the identity and culture of the people of the Northeast.
The anti-CAA brigade asserts the law makes it easier for non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan to secure Indian citizenship, triggering fear that illegal Bangladeshis will swamp the region.
The Lok Sabha had passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill on December 9 and the Rajya Sabha on December 11 last year despite widespread protests in the region, especially Assam, where five persons died on December 12 during the government crackdown on the protests in 2019.
AASU members protesting against CAA in Guwahati on Saturday with a troupe playing traditional musical instruments. Telegraph picture
Dipanjal Das, Sam Stafford, Ishwar Nayak, Abdul Alim and Dwijendra Panging lost their lives on December 12. Around 18 people were injured.
Saturday’s protest rallies, meetings and shraddhanjali across the state come a day after black day was organised under the banner of the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) to protest against the CAA that had slowed down because of the pandemic.
The revival of the protests, sources said, may not see huge participation like last year but will be “effective enough” to keep it in the limelight and the BJP-led government on its toes as the state gets into the election mode. The state Assembly polls are scheduled for early next year.
“One of the highlights of the day was a gathering of people at the Guwahati Rotary Club in response to a social media message by conscious citizens in the evening. They lit candles in the memory of the martyrs, raised slogans against the CAA and sang a few protest songs but were not allowed to take out a torchlight rally by police whose numbers were clearly more than the participants," said Bidisha Barman, one of the participants.
AASU chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharjya told that the government has not instituted a probe into the deaths even after a year. “The government knows who are the killers and this is why we want a probe by a sitting high court judge. We will also continue our peaceful movement till the law is repealed,” he said.
The CCACAA, which offered Rs 10,000 each to families of the martyrs, gave a call to all the organisations and collectives for a united fight against the legislation keeping aside their differences.
Deben Tamuly of the CCACC said they have renewed their pledge to fight against the CAA and sought a probe into the deaths of the martyrs. Senior Left leader Hemen Das and Rajya Sabha MP Ajit Kumar Bhuyan flayed the BJP-led Centre for imposing the CAA.
“We have also demanded a judicial probe into the deaths of martyrs and the release of CAA detainees such as Akhil Gogoi and Debangana Kalita,” Tamuly said.
