Assam, where protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) have continued unabated for over a fortnight, on Friday saw teachers and students seated on the same platform to oppose the law.
The Assam Retired College Teachers’ Association staged a peaceful dharna at Latasil playground here and the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), which is at the forefront of the anti-CAA movement in the state, joined them.
Former principal of Cotton College Udayaditya Bharali said, “It’s a matter of shame that the people who trusted the government are feeling betrayed now. The arrogance of this government and its ministers is beyond acceptance.”
The AASU said the joining of retired teachers had added teeth to the movement.
AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said, “Today, students and teachers have joined hands against CAA and we are sure that more people will join the movement and throw this government and its draconian policies out soon.”
The AASU refrained from organising its own public rally on Friday as it observed the 17th death anniversary of folk singer Pratima Baruah-Pandey, a Padma Shri recipient. It paid tribute to her at the Pratima Pandey Memorial Park in Chandmari but decided not to confer the award instituted in her memory this year in protest against CAA. AASU confers the Pratima Baruah-Pandey award to folk artistes every year. It’s chief adviser, Samujjal Bhattacharjya, said they would confer the award from next year.
He lamented that the state government had failed to preserve the singer’s house at Matia in Goalpara district. “The demand to preserve the legendary folk artiste’s house has fallen on deaf ears. The government has not even taken steps to conserve the singer’s work. If they can’t perform their duty to preserve our culture, they should surrender. We will do it with the help of the people,” he said.
AASU leaders at the demonstration.
Bhattacharya also slammed the BJP’s peace rally held in Nagaon to counter the anti-CAA protests. “Peace in Assam has been disturbed by the government itself. If it had not brought in the anti-Assamese Act, there would have been peace everywhere. Let the Act be scrapped and there will be peace in the state instantly. The government shot dead five persons and now they are holding peace rallies. People in Assam understand this double standards.”
AASU reiterated that Assam has taken the burden of lakhs of illegal immigrants till 1971 on humanitarian grounds but won’t allow a single more infiltrator after the cut-off date of March 24, 1971, as agreed upon in the Assam Accord.
On Saturday, the AASU will organise a public rally at Sualkuchi in Kamrup district, which falls under state cabinet minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s constituency.
On Friday, thousands joined the anti-CAA protests organised by the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) and other indigenous groups in Dhemaji, Sivasagar and Golaghat districts.
A protester at Silapathar in Dhemaji said, “The government, which has failed to rehabilitate lakhs of indigenous flood victims, now wants to settle illegal immigrants. How can we accept it?”
The anger against CAA has spread like wildfire since the Lok Sabha passed it on December 10 and the Rajya Sabha on December 11.
