Assam: Martyr’s families return mementos in protest against CAB

Families of 885 Assam martyrs decided to returns mementos to register their protest against CAB .

Guwahati 

In protest over the citizenship bill, the families of those who died fighting for the cause of the Assam Movement decided on Wednesday to return the mementos conferred by the state government.

The Swahid Parial Samannayrakhi Parishad (SPSP), an organisation of the families of Assam Agitation, gathered at the ‘Saheed Niyas’ here — the headquarters of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) that had spearheaded the movement — to stage a protest against the contentious bill.

The families marched to the office of Kamrup(M) Deputy Commissioner’s office holding the mementos given by the Assam government to 855 people posthumously, their families decided to return the plaques in protest against the Centre’s move to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal had felicitated the families of the 855 people killed during the agitation after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2016. The state government had given them an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each along with mementos.

Rajen Deka, who heads an association representing the families, said they were returning the mementos as a mark of protest against the amendment. “In our own land, this [proposed] amendment will rob us of dignity and respect,” he said.

Dipti Bora, who is from Morigaon district and lost her brother, Padma Bora, during the agitation, said the proposed amendment will give protection to foreigners. “What is the value of the sacrifice of the martyrs?”