Defying the indefinite curfew, thousands of people converged at the Latasil Playground in the heart of the city on Thursday(December 12) to take part in a protest meeting by All Assam Students Union (AASU), which is spearheading the agitation against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill.
Eminent litterateurs, artistes, prominent citizens, lawyers, students and common people came from all parts of the city to participate in the meeting held by Silpi Samaj (artistes forum) and took out a protest rally against the CAB.
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The indefinite curfew has been imposed in Guwahati and Dibrugarh since Wednesday (December 11) evening while the Army was called in at four places, including the state capital, Dibrguarh, Tinsukia and Jorhat districts in view of the large scale violent public protests against the legislation across the state.
Addressing the meeting, AASU chief advisor Sammujjal Bhattacharya lambasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for the “ultimate betrayal” of the Assamese people by ensuring the passage of the Bill in Parliament.
He also hit out at Asom Gana Parishad, BJPs alliance partner in the state, for “stabbing the people of Assam in the back” as its sole MP in Rajya Sabha Birendra Prasad Baishya had voted in favour of the bill.
“Sonowal should not forget that he has reached the chief minister’s chair from the AASU platform and his bowing to the powers in Delhi will not be tolerated either by the students or the people of Assam,” Bhattacharya said. “We condemn lathi charge on students by a government whose chief minister (Sonowal) was once the president of the AASU,” he asserted.
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Many of the AASU leaders had joined the AGP which came into being after the historic Assam Accord of 1985 and the party had gone on to form the government in the state twice from 1985 to 1989 and from 1996 to 2001.
Assamese singer-musician-filmmaker Zubin Garg, who addressed the gathering said the people will not accept the imposition of CAB on them.
“The artists community has always worked for the people who have given them recognition. It is the same with politicians who come to power by the people. But they failed us by bringing in the Bill,” he said.