Assam Remembered CAA Martyrs: Vowed to Intensify Protest

After the President of India on December 12, last year gave his assent to CAA, there has hardly been any word on it from the home ministry

Time8 Webdesk
December 12, 2020
3:51 pm

GUWAHATI: Assam remembered its anti Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) martyrs on Saturday as the tragedy in which five persons including a school student were killed in police firing passed one year.

Sam Stafford, Dipanjal Das, Ishwar Nayak, Abdul Alim and Dwijendra Panging- were killed in police firing during the anti CAA movement that broke out across the state in December last year.

While All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) organised a public homage program to pay tribute to the five and launched its ‘Gana Hunkar’ (Mass Roar) protests across the state, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) too observed Sankalp Divas (pledge day) and vowed to renew its movement against CAA in tooth and nail. Besides, many other groups too paid tribute to the five deceased and opposed CAA.

Police also detained many while protesting against Sarbananda Sonowal led state government. They blamed Sonowal of cheating the people of Assam.

Former AASU leader Lurinjyoti Gogoi who was at the forefront of the anti CAA movement in Assam last year, said, “One year has passed but the people of Assam have not forgotten the scenes of police atrocity upon students. Those in power have betrayed the people of Assam. Assamese community is a warrior community and will give its fitting reply on time.”

On Friday, during a routine medical checkup at Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH), KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi said that almost 1.9 Cr people will get citizenship if CAA is implemented in Assam.

Paying tribute to the ‘martyrs’ of CAA, Assam’s heartthrob Zubeen Garg said, “We will never forget the sacrifices of the deceased and their families. CAA will never be accepted and we will continue our opposition against the Act.”

Despite a year has passed, the legislation remained ineffective as rules were yet to be notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on December 9, 2019, and by the Rajya Sabha on December 11, 2019. After the President of India on December 12, last year gave his assent to the law, there has hardly been any word on it from the home ministry.

Recently, senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said in West Bengal that the granting of citizenship to the non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan under the CAA will begin, most likely from January 2021.