50,000 Sons & Daughters of the Soil Defy Curfew to Protest against CAB in Guwahati

By: Rana Pratap Saikia

At least 50,000 Assamese nationalists descended on the Latasil Playground in Guwahati to issue a warning. And what is the warning, one might ask? "The CAB will not be accepted at any cost."

That was the message that shook the protest grounds, as student leaders, artists, intellectuals, journalists, musicians, et al, joined the massive protest against the Bill, which has now been passed in both the Houses of Parliament.

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Somewhat surprisingly, prominent actor Jatin Bora, who was a member of the BJP party, cast off his saffron robes and joined the protest as well. "The people are our Gods", proclaimed Jatin, and proceeded to shout slogans against the ruling Government along with fellow industry mates Barsha Rani Bishaya, Ravi Sarma, among several others.

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The streets reverberated with chants of CAB aami namanu (we will never accept the CAB), and Joi Aai Axom (glory to mother Assam), as the masses demanded the immediate scrapping of the highly controversial legislation, that was passed in the Rajya Sabha with 125 'ayes' yesterday.

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It is ironic that the protest was held at Latashil, which is is the hosting site of the longest-running Bihus, which is Assam's most popular festival and a matter of great pride for the community. Issuing warnings to the Government that the protests against the Bill will continue unabated if the Bill is not scrapped, the Assamese personalities urged the Government not to play with the emotions of the indigenous Assamese people.

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The mass protest was organized amid imposition of a curfew and shutdown of mobile internet services in several districts in the State, and the droves of protesters headed to Latasil as if on autopilot, 'spontaneously'. Apart from the mega-rally in the historic field, that was also the site of a Bajraninad (thunder cry) against the Bill, earlier this year, thousands staged isolated protests in several pockets of the city, decrying the Bill.

The protest was joined by all, irrespective of caste, gender, and sex. With the massive protests that have been sparked in the region against the Bill, the ball is now fully in Delhi's Court in the continuing saga of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

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