India, March 12 (Punjab Khabarnama): The chief adviser of the All Assam Students Union (AASU), Samujjal Bhattacharya, has declared the intention to escalate protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) following the notification of rules for its implementation. The Congress-led United Opposition Forum (UOF) and around 30 student and indigenous bodies, including AASU, are set to intensify their opposition to the controversial legislation. Bhattacharya emphasized that the CAA is detrimental to Assam’s people, and peaceful, non-violent, and democratic protests will persist and intensify.
The AASU chief adviser announced plans to burn copies of the CAA in all state capitals across the Northeast, followed by torchlight rallies in Assam and other modes of protest. The UOF, on February 29, submitted a memorandum to President Draupadi Murmu seeking the repeal or non-implementation of the CAA in Assam, deeming the legislation unconstitutional. The UOF is preparing to contest national polls collectively in the upcoming summer.
Congress leader Debabrata Saikia accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of breaking promises to protect Assam and its people, asserting that the CAA would grant Indian citizenship to undocumented immigrants who entered Assam before 2015, contradicting the Assam Accord’s provisions. Saikia expressed hope that the people of Assam would respond strongly to what he termed a betrayal.
Indigenous groups in the Northeast express concerns that the CAA may lead to a new influx of undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh. Despite warnings from Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma about potential consequences for political parties violating a high court order by calling strikes, calls for protests against the CAA persist. Sarma emphasized that political parties could lose their registrations for supporting strikes, while student groups and non-political bodies are permitted to call for bandhs.
Assam Police chief GP Singh cited a March 2019 high court order, holding those calling for bandhs accountable. Sarma and Singh argue that street protests are ineffective, and those opposing the CAA should pursue legal avenues such as approaching the Supreme Court. The CAA’s passage in December 2019 sparked protests in Assam, resulting in five deaths in police firing.
