The All Assam Students Union (AASU) and 28 organizations representing different ethnic communities of the State would sit for a mass hunger strike in Guwahati on May 29 demanding scrapping of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016.
As part of the AASU’s multi-pronged strategy to protest the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and demand an error-free NRC for Assam, a vigorous mass movement would be started throughout the State with support from the 28 ethnic bodies from June, which has been named as ‘Gana Satyagraha’.
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In the first part of June, a massive public rally will also be organized in Guwahati.
“Sarbananda Sonowal-led government must understand that their conspicuous silence on the matter is being closely observed by the people of Assam. The Chief Minister need not follow the commands of New Delhi at the cost of the very identity of the indigenous communities of Assam,” AASU advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya said addressing the media here today.
The ethnic bodies have appealed all the like-minded public organizations, individuals, women’s groups, etc., to join the mass movement that would continue throughout the State.
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All the 29 organizations would sit for a meeting on June 2 to decide further course of action to take this movement to every corner of the State.
Aditya Khaklari, general secretary of the All Assam Tribal Sangha, said the State government’s silence over the move to grant citizenship to illegal foreigners was unfortunate.
“Most of our ministers and MLAs in the State Assembly are the people who actively participated in the Assam Movement that was launched against the illegal foreigners. However, at this crucial hour, when an unconstitutional and pro-illegal migrant legislation is being proposed, no strong voice of protest comes out from the power corridors,” he added.
All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) leader Promod Bodo asserted that the amendment being sought by the Union government is tilted towards the illegal foreigners and existing Indian citizens as the small ethnic groups of the Northeast are bound to suffer because of it.
Terming it as a political conspiracy, AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said that being a communal Bill, it was totally against the spirit of the Indian Constitution.