Terming the arrest of KMSS activists arbitrary, whimsical and horrifying, Gohain said instead of taking action against the actual enemies, the police are targeting only those who are opposing the central govt.
The senior leaders of the militant group have been in discussions with Centre’s interlocutor AB Mathur and officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, who have are in Delhi since Thursday.
Four leaders affiliated to the farmer organization have been detained by the NIA so far apart from Gogoi. His deputy Dhairjya Konwar, and Bitu Sonowal have been booked by the NIA under the amended Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act UAPA for ‘waging war against the nation’ and accused of being a ‘Maoist’.
Student unions of various other universities like the Tezpur University, North Eastern Hill University, Gauhati University, Assam Women’s University, Assam Agricultural University, Dibrugarh University, Nagaland University, Rajiv Gandhi University and North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology had called for the boycott.
The day-long event kicked off with hoisting of flag by president of Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS), Toren Boro. Addressing the gathering, he urged the Assam government to solve various problems related to Bodo-medium education and language.
Moon Talukdar, the University’s AJYCP General Secretary, who has become the object of immense scrutiny for going against the party lines, told the media that students across the Northeast Indian region are opposing the CAA unitedly.
The message issued by the ‘Veer Lachit Sena’ members seems loud and clear, that the CAA would not be accepted by the people at any cost. The leaders further condemned the ruling BJP for trying to impose the legislation that people fear could lose their language, culture, and identity.
Signatories to the letter include scientist Dinesh Chandra Goswami, Sahitya Akademi awardee Nagen Saikia, former Gauhati University vice-chancellor Gajendra Nath Talukdar and ex-principals of Cotton College and Gauhati Medical College, Udayaditya Bharali and N N Barman respectively.
The criteria for applying for citizenship are as follows- First, one has to be either a Hindu, Jain, Parsi, Christian, Sikh or Buddhist. Second, the applicant’s country of origin has to be either Bangladesh, Afghanistan or Pakistan.
Several Organisations including All Assam Students Union(AASU), Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) have staged protests against the bill. KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi was taken into custody by NIA.
The Saoraigwra faction is the third group of NDFB to initiate peace talks with New Delhi. Earlier in 2005, the NDFB (Progressive) faction signed a ceasefire agreement with New Delhi.
People from various faiths came together to celebrate this day of togetherness and many local leaders — such as AASU’s Samujjal Bhattacharya and Lurinjyoti Gogoi — and artists (such as actress Barsha Rani Bishaya and Babu) were also present.
“Narzary, who hailed from Kokrajhar’s Thaisiguri, was also engaged in extortion activities, recruitment of new cadres and anti-national activities,” said the personnel. During the search of the extortion site, they seized one foreign-made 9mm Glock Pistol, two magazines, and ammunition.
Many communities also voiced their protest, they have constructed bhela ghars (bamboo-and-straw houses where the trademark Bihu feasts are held) that depict the struggle of the Assamese people against the allegedly “unconstitutional” and “communal” legislation.
Shrinkhal Chaliha was the one who got arrested for protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). He said, “I was arrested with fake charges of waging war against the Government. I was arrested just for protesting against the contentious CA.”
The programme was organized by the Tangla Anchalik AASU, which was addressed by its president Pranjal Deka, assistant general secretary of the AASU, Jayanta Kumar Bhattacharjya and others.
The police acted on a tip-off, the BSF and Mankachar police jointly launched a drive in Jhalerchar and Kukurmara villages, adjacent to the Indo-Bangladesh border and arrested two Bangladeshi nationals along with a herd of three cattle heads.
Gogoi also issued a warning to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Gogoi said that Sonowal, in the run-up to the last Assembly Elections in the State, did not inform that foreigners would be given citizenship.
A similar set of claims also came during one of his rallies in Biswanath Chariali, He said that AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal will become the Chief Minister of Assam within the next ten years.
