Assam: CAA Copies burnt in Bihu’s Bonfire
AASU had appealed to the people to continue their protest even during the festivals, also burnt copies of the Act.
Guwahati
Activists of the All Assam Students Union ( AASU ) burnt the copies of the Citizenship Amendment Act ( CAA ) in meji bonfires of Bihu celebration across the state. Agitators are even using the main harvest festival — the Magh Bihu — as an opportunity to vent their anger against the ruling BJP government, who they accuse of betraying the people’s mandate by supporting the legislation in parliament.
Bhogali Bihu is one of the three bihus that Assamese people across the globe celebrate. Bihu is the most popular festivals of the state which is celebrated by people of all the faiths in the state.
But this time, the widespread protest against the CAA could be seen in the celebrations. Many in the state burnt dummy copies of the act before the feast as a mark of protest.
All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), the leading students’ body of the state which had appealed to the people to continue their protest even during the festivals, also burnt copies of the Act.
“We will celebrate our festivals but will not stay away from staging our opposition to the CAA. CAA is a threat to the indigenous people of Assam and all the northeast states. So, we will continue doing that,” AASU chief adviser Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharya said.
Assam has witnessed widespread protests against the CAA which endorses citizenship to the non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan with a cut off date of December 31,2014. Here in Assam most of the organizations and individuals have accepted the cut off date as March 24,1971 as per the Assam Accord to identify illegal foreigners.
For the people of Assam, they are not willing to welcome any migrants irrespective of religion, caste and creed after 1971.
