Guwahati, Dec. 18 (PTI): The traditional Assamese ‘gamocha’ is a veritable symbol of pride for the state, but of late this sartorial heritage has also become a scroll of protest for people agitating against the amended citizenship law.
With the mobile internet suspended here for the past eight days, protesters have been spilling their anger and resentment against the highly emotive Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), now an Act, on public walls and ‘gamochas’.
Rajya Sabha had passed the contentious bill on December 11 completing the legislative process for giving Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, plunging Assam into a huge chaos, as violent protests had erupted across the state.
Guwahati, being the epicentre of the agitation, witnessed protests marches and countless bonfires lit up in the streets across the city till December 12 night, bringing the bustling town to a standstill.
Seeking to check spread of rumour and maintain law and order, authorities had clamped indefinite curfew in Guwahati and suspended internet connection in 10 districts, including Kamrup (Metro) on December 11 evening. Guwahati falls in Kamrup (Metro) district.
As people could not take to social media to vent their ire, many people who opposed the bill spray-painted ‘anti-CAB’ and ‘anti-BJP’ messages on walls in prominent places and inner areas to register their protest, locals said.
While the curfew was lifted on Tuesday morning, mobile internet services are still suspended, even as peaceful protests against CAA, led by All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) continues at various public squares.
On prominent Md Tyabullah Road skirting the famous Dighali Pukhuri, an entire stretch of walls of private homes, commercial ventures or quarters of Cotton University Professors’ Colony, seems like a giant protest scroll with ‘No CAB’ splattered all over it.
“We Assamese totally opposed the bill, and now want the Act to be revoked. Mobile internet has been shut since December 11 evening. People also express their sentiments and resentment on social media. But, I guess, these public walls are symbols of protest now,” said Chinmoy Deka, an Assamese youth, who often visits Dighali Pukhuri, a popular hangout place in Guwahati.
The area also neighbours Guwahati High Court and the sprawling Latasil playground, one of the main venues of the ongoing protests, and one can see and feel the heightened sense of resentment of people against this legislation.
While ‘NO CAB’ in giant English or Assamese letters remains the dominant message painted on walls in black or crimson, across the city, slogans against the BJP government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also have been painted at many places in Guwahati since the protests began.
So, slogans like ‘Modi Hai Hai’, ‘Sonowal Hai Hai’ could be seen on walls located in prominent G S Road, surrounded by ‘No CAB’ wordings, painted before the bill became an act -- CAA as an assent was given to it by President Ram Nath Kovind on December 13.
In protest marches, men and women, young and old could be seen either wearing the ‘gamocha’ around the neck or holding it in the air bearing the message --’No CAA’ and ‘Jai Ai Ahom’ in English or Assamese or mixed.
PFI’s Assam unit chief arrested in connection with violence during protests
Islamic outfit PFI’s Assam unit chief Aminul Haque was arrested on Wednesday along with another office bearer for their alleged role in the violence during protests over the citizenship law, police said.
Haque was arrested from his residence in Hatigaon area of the city, and a desktop computer, two laptops, documents and cane sticks were seized, they said.
Mujamil Haque, who is the Popular Front of India’s Baksa district press secretary, was also arrested, they added.
Police, however, declined to share the details of cases registered against them and where they were registered.
Police said 215 cases related to violence during the protests have been registered, 329 arrests have so far been made and 2,026 persons detained.
Assam rights body directs chief secy. to probe deaths in police action
The Assam Human Rights Commission has directed the chief secretary to constitute a high-level panel for probing deaths of five protesters in police action during protests over the amended Citizenship Act here last week.
In a notice issued by the commission on Tuesday, Chief Secretary Alok Kumar has also been asked to probe the injuries to 27 protestors in baton-charge by the police.
The chief secretary has been asked to submit a report within a month “after enquiring into the incidents to find out the circumstances” leading to the injuries, deaths, arrests and detentions.
The commission cited local media reports that said two boys -- Dipanjal Das and Sam Stefford -- were killed at Lachit Nagar and Hatigaon, respectively, in police firing and no weapon was found from them.
Two more protesters -- Iswar Nayak and Abdul -- were injured in alleged police firing at Udalguri and Lalung Gaon, respectively, and later succumbed to injuries at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, the report referred by the commission said.
It also noted that another protester, Dwijendra Panging, succumbed to his injuries on December 14, sustained during baton charge by police.
Till Sunday, Assam Police arrested 175 persons besides picking up 1,406 others in connection with the protest across the state, according to the report quoted by the commission.