AASU warns of new Assam Andolan

Guwahati: With the BJP-led Central government deciding to move the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, several organisations and the powerful All Assam Students Union on Wednesday threatened to start a fresh Assam Andolan to protect the rights and existence of the indigenous people of the state.

The AASU leadership, which had a long meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday night, said they were left with no option but to launch another agitation. Asserting that the people of Assam had faith in this (BJP) government that they would protect indigenous people facing a threat from the influx on all fronts, the AASU leaders said that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill violated the provisions of the Assam Accord, and so it was not acceptable to the people of Assam in any form.

Former chief minister and veteran AGP leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, regretting the stand of his party on the CAB, told reporters he was with the AASU leadership which had rightly decided to fight against the CAB. “I don’t know what the AGP leaders holding office have decided, but one thing is sure that the CAB is a threat to the existence of the indigenous people of Assam,” said Mr Mahanta, who reiterated he would continue to oppose CAB even if his party doesn’t take any clear stand.

The Assam Sangkyalaghu (Minority) Sangram Parishad on Wednesday also staged protests against the bill and burnt effigies of home minister Amit Shah and Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The minority organisation’s activists shouted slogans against the bill and the government in Assam’s Biswanath district. The protesters also demanded that the government to scrap the bill immediately.

One of its leaders said: “We held this protest across the state. Assam can’t take the additional burden of illegal foreigners. We have opposed the government’s policy as they are giving us the additional burden of illegal foreigners. We will not accept it. Our protests and agitations will continue in the coming days. We will take action if the government passes the bill in Parliament.”

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will grant Indian citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has also sent a memorandum to the home minister asking not to implement the CAB in Assam.

Three-time former CM Tarun Gogoi alleged that the BJP was diverting the attention of people from other issues by talking solely about the Citizenship Bill and a nationwide National Register of Citizens. His party, the Congress, has already taken a position against both the issues.

By passing the Citizenship Bill, the Centre seeks to grant Indian citizenship to “persecuted” non-Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who migrated to India till December 31, 2014. For over half a century, Assam has borne the brunt of the illegal migration of the Bangladeshis.