GUWAHATI: As the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) inches closer to implementation, tensions escalate across various parts of Northeast, particularly in Assam, where opposition to the Act gains momentum.
Reportedly, the rules for the implementation of the CAA are poised to be notified on Monday, paving the way for the Centre to initiate the process of granting Indian nationality to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
The Act extends citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians who fled religious persecution and entered India on or before December 31, 2014.
However, amidst these developments, Assam witnesses a surge in dissent against the Act.
Earlier on Sunday, demonstrators take to the streets in cities and districts, voicing their opposition and demanding the repeal of the contentious legislation.
In Guwahati, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) launches a 12-hour hunger strike at Dighalipukhuri, commencing at 6 am.
Joined by 30 organisations, the hunger strike amplifies the call for abolishing the CAA, signalling widespread discontent within the state.
Similar protests erupt in Bilasipara, where demonstrators convene in front of the Bilasipara sub-divisional AASU office, staging a 12-hour hunger strike against the perceived discriminatory provisions of the Act.
The protesters issue stern warnings of resorting to mass self-immolation if their demands are not met by the central and state governments.
In Golaghat, the Golaghat District Students’ Union, in collaboration with 30 ethnic organisations, initiates a 12-hour hunger strike near the district students’ union office, reaffirming their stance against the controversial legislation.
The dissent against the CAA echoes in Nalbari, where protesters gather for a hunger strike program, underscoring their opposition to the Act and demanding its repeal.
Passed in December 2019 and subsequently receiving the president’s assent, the CAA has been met with widespread protests across the country.
However, its implementation has been delayed pending the notification of rules governing its execution.
