'Biggest blow to Assamese people': Agitators burn CAA copies, issue protest call

'The CAA is not acceptable to us. The BJP government has today delivered the biggest blow to the Assamese people, our identity, and our culture. Our protest will continue,' Chief Advisor of the All Assam Students' Union (AASU), Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharjya, told reporters in Guwahati in his first reaction.

Guwahati: "We don't accept the CAA," was the immediate reaction of anti-CAA organisations in Assam as the Centre issued the rules for the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019. The act seeks to allow non-Muslim "persecuted" migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan to apply for Indian citizenship.

Additional police and paramilitary personnel were deployed around the state Secretariat, Assembly compound in Guwahati, and other vital installations as organisations urged people to take to the streets to register their protest against the CAA.

Activists from various organisations, including the All Assam Students' Union (AASU), burned copies of the Act following the news. Opposition parties have called for a bandh tomorrow.

"The CAA is not acceptable to us. The BJP government has today delivered the biggest blow to the Assamese people, our identity, and our culture. Our protest will continue," Chief Advisor of the AASU, Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharjya, told reporters in Guwahati in his first reaction.

Reasoning behind the anti-CAA stance

AASU and other organisations are opposing the CAA, arguing that it would lead to a reduction in the indigenous Assamese population by granting citizenship to a significant number of post-1971 Hindu Bengali migrants from neighbouring Bangladesh. They contend that this move would undermine the culture and language of the Assamese community by providing citizenship to individuals already residing in the state.

AASU has been at the forefront of the anti-foreigners movement for decades and notably led the six-year-long anti-foreigners movement between 1979 and 1985. The organisation argues that the CAA would further dilute the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985, which pledged to identify "foreigners" with March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date.

Assam experienced violent protests in December 2019 following the passage of the CAA by Parliament. The agitation escalated into violence, resulting in at least five deaths among anti-CAA protesters due to police firing. Subsequently, the agitation spread to other parts of the country.

Assam MLA and anti-CAA activist, Akhil Gogoi, issued a call on Monday evening urging everyone to peacefully come out and express their opposition to the CAA.

Lurinjyoti Gogoi, president of the Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP), a regional party that emerged from the anti-CAA agitation in 2019, has designated today (March 11) as a black day, condemning the BJP-led government for not heeding the people's opposition to the CAA. Gogoi is anticipated to run in the Lok Sabha election as a candidate for the opposition parties in Assam, including the Congress.

The Opposition Congress also declared its intention to actively participate in the movement against the CAA and vowed to urge people to vote against the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections due to its implementation. "By issuing the rules for the CAA, the BJP has today broken the promise of protecting the identity and culture of the indigenous people, a pledge they have been making since 2016. The CAA violates the Assam Accord," stated Debabrata Saikia, leader of the Congress Legislature Party.

'People are with the BJP'

Welcoming the Centre's move, the BJP asserted that the agitation was orchestrated by a faction of individuals and political parties for their own political interests and electoral victories. "However, the people of Assam stand with the BJP, as evidenced by their re-election of the BJP for a second term in 2021, despite knowing that we support the CAA," stated a party leader.

The BJP has set a target to secure victory in 11 out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats. In 2019, the BJP had won nine seats.

CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said the organisations must seek legal recourse through the Supreme Court instead of protesting.

On March 1, Assam DGP GP Singh issued a warning to the agitators on 'X' (formerly Twitter), stating that the police "will not allow the situation to be like 2019," in an apparent effort to deter potential unrest.