GUWAHATI: Protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) returned to the Northeast on Saturday.
The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), the apex students’ body of the region, observed the second anniversary of the controversial Act’s passage as a “black day” while Assam’s political party Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP) burnt copies of the Act.
Members of the NESO hoisted black flags and banners at all important places across the Northeast as a mark of protest. It had appealed to people to lend their support to the programme and keep fighting against CAA.
“On December 11, 2019, despite relentless opposition by the indigenous people of the Northeast, the Government of India had passed the draconian law in the Parliament,” the NESO said in a statement.
The statement also said that through this observance, the students’ organisation wanted to send a message to the Centre that the people of the Northeast were against the CAA.
Samujjal Bhattacharya, advisor to NESO, said December 11 was a black day for the indigenous people of the region as it was on this day that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed in the Parliament.
The AJP said it had launched the second phase of the anti-CAA agitation by taking out a rally in Guwahati. The protesters burnt copies of the CAA. They held black flags and shouted slogans demanding its repeal.