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Assam faces shutdown over bid to amend citizenship law
The bill proposes to grant citizenship to religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Normal life across most parts of Assam remained affected on Tuesday due to a 12-hour shutdown from 5 am called by 46 indigenous groups against the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
The bill proposes to grant citizenship to religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Assam’s indigenous groups, 46 of whom are supporting the bandh, oppose the bill as they feel it will marginalize them by encouraging more migrations of the Hindus from neighbouring Bangladesh.
Tuesday’s shutdown coincided with a joint parliamentary committee (JPC)’s meeting over the bill ahead of its expected tabling during Parliament’s winter session in December. It had the support of opposition Congress as well as pro-talks faction of the ULFA.
Hundreds of protesters belonging to JPC took to the streets since early morning and burnt tyres on roads, prevented movement of vehicles and disrupted trains at some places. Essential services have been kept outside its purview. Opposing the shutdown, the BJP-led ruling coalition in the state had ordered all government employees to attend offices and threatened traders and business establishments of revoking their licenses if they downed shutters.
“The spontaneous response to the shutdown despite government threats of crackdown shows mass opposition of the Bill in Assam...” farmers rights activist Akhil Gogoi of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti said. But despite assurances of safety most business establishments and transport operators across the state chose to shut down their shops and keep vehicles off the roads.
“The shutdown was by and large peaceful apart from incidents of stone pelting at vehicles reported from few areas...” DGP Kuladhar Saikia said. While effect of the shutdown was felt in 30 districts, it didn’t have any effect in Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi.
Unlike other parts of the state, most organizations in Barak Valley support the Bill as they feel it is needed to give citizenship to people who migrated to India due to the Partition and religious persecution in Bangladesh.
Clause 6 of Assam Accord provides that constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of Assam.
“The shutdown received maximum support in minority-dominated areas. Those same people who failed to close shops during the Assam Agitation (against illegal immigrants) are today supporting the shutdown,” BJP state unit chief Ranjit Dass said.
