Assam, Tripura on the boil, Army called out to maintain peace

Even as the Rajya Sabha began deliberating on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday (December 11), protests against the contentious bill intensified in Assam and Tripura with the district administrations requisitioning the Army’s assistance to rein in protesters, and the Centre airlifting nearly 20 companies (5,000 personnel) of paramilitary personnel to control law and order situation in both the states.

While all the north-eastern states covered under Inner Line Permit have been protected from the purview of the proposed legislation, Assam and Tripura are exceptions.

Earlier in the day, on the requisition of the civil administration in Tripura and Assam, two Army columns were deployed at Kanchanpur in Radahnagar district and Manu in Dhalai district of Tripura.

A third column was requisitioned by Bongaigaon deputy commissioner in Assam.  Also, the Army was called out at Lahowal in Dibrugarh district to assist the district administration, TOI quoted a defence spokesperson as saying.

Also read: Internet cut in Tripura as anti-Citizenship Bill protests rock Northeast

In Assam, the Guwahati-Shillong road saw a massive congregation of students including those from Guwahati Medical College and Assam Engineering College marching towards the state Secretariat. Violent clashes broke out between the students and police and CRPF personnel after the students were stopped at Bhangaharh. Reports said the students broke the barricade on GS Road after which the police resorted to lathi charge.

“This is a barbaric government led by Sarbananda Sonowal. We will not succumb to any pressure till the CAB is repealed,” News18 quoted a protester as saying.

Police allegedly caned several students and used tear gas to disperse them.

Similar scuffles were seen at Chauldhowa in Dibrugarh where several students sustained injuries in a lathi charge by police. Many of them were rushed to the Assam Medical College.

Among the 5,000 paramilitary who were airlifted and rushed to the Northeast, nearly 20 companies (2,000 personnel) were withdrawn from Kashmir, where they had been sent prior to the Centre’s decision on August 5 to abrogate Article 370 provisions. The remaining 30 companies were withdrawn from other places and rushed to north-eastern states, the officials said. The troops are from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

Also read: Citizenship Bill: Amit Shah holds meet with Northeast CMs, civil society

In view of the protests, Guwahati and Bibrugarh universities have postponed the examinations for an indefinite period.

The Northeast Frontier Railway on Wednesday cancelled several trains and rescheduled a few originating from Assam. “At least 14 trains have either been cancelled, short terminated or diverted anticipating disruptions in train movement,” The Northeast Today quoted NF Railway chief public relations officer Subhanan Chanda as saying.

In Delhi, a group of people from the north-eastern states gathered at the Jantar Mantar to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. The protesters slammed the government on the bill and raised slogans like: “We oppose CAB” and “We need Justice”.

The bill which was passed by the Lok Sabha on December 9 with 311 votes in favour of it, will become a law once it secures the consent of the Upper House of Parliament and the President. The bill proposes to grant Indian citizenship to religious minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

Residents of India’s north-eastern states, which have a dominant tribal population, have been demanding to be kept out of the purview of the bill, as they fear immigration of other tribal groups would dilute the ethnicity, culture, language and the way of life of the indigenous tribes and eat into the job prospects of the locals.