GUWAHATI: Vehicles were damaged and the movement of trains was blocked at various places during the dawn-to-dusk statewide bandh in Assam on Tuesday.
The bandh was called jointly by 46 organisations in protest against the Centre’s move to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The bandh organisers claimed that the bill was aimed at protecting the Hindu Bangladeshis (read Bengali Hindu immigrants of Bangladesh) in Assam.
The bandh coincided with a meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) which will submit its “final” report on the bill to the Central government. Earlier, it visited Guwahati and the Barak Valley to take the opinions of people on the bill.
By passing the controversial bill, the Centre wants to grant citizenship to the “persecuted” non-Muslim immigrants of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, who migrated to India till December 31, 2014.
READ HERE: Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016: Bill that has kept Assam on the edge
The protestors burnt vehicle tyres and the effigies of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and BJP Assam unit chief Ranjit Dass on the streets and chanted slogans against the BJP and Central government. They damaged a number of vehicles in Upper Assam and blocked the movement of trains. Dozens of the protestors were arrested by the police.
The state government had earlier warned of taking action against truant employees. It had also warned of cancelling trade licenses of shops and commercial establishments if they remain closed on the day. Despite the threat, attendance in government offices was thin. The entire state also virtually remained shut.
The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which is a constituent of the state’s BJP-led coalition government, took out a massive rally in Guwahati in protest against the Citizenship Bill. The AGP said it would keep opposing the bill as it threatens the existence of indigenous communities.
“We will not allow this bill to be passed in the Parliament under any circumstances. If the Centre dares pass it and turns it into an Act, we will pull out of the government,” AGP president Atul Bora categorically stated.
“We have already met JPC chairman Rajendra Agarwal and some of its members. We told them to not ignore the opinions of people in Assam. The JPC is supposed to submit its report based on people’s opinions. As they visited only two places of Assam earlier, we told them that they should not submit the report based on the opinions of a section of people. We demanded they visit Assam again before submitting the report. The people of Assam will not accept this bill. If it is passed, the locals will become a minority. There is no doubt it threatens the existence of the locals,” Bora said.
RTI activist Akhil Gogoi, whose peasants’ body Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti spearheaded the bandh, said the bandh was a protest staged by the people of Assam and not just groups and organisations.
“Despite the threats by the government, the whole of Assam observed the bandh. This was because the people know this is a dangerous bill and if it is passed, it will severely harm them,” he said.