A 50-foot tall Ravana effigy made of hay and bamboo with the 'face' of Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was burned on the occasion of Magh/Bhogali Bihu by All Assam Students' Union (AASU) activists in Upper Assam's Dibrugarh.
Members of the AASU also affixed pictures of many other BJP leaders such as Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Amit Shah, PM Modi, Ram Madhav, and several other leaders of the saffron.
ALSO READ: Clause 6 Panel Granted 1-Month Extension by Home Ministry to Deliver its Report
Although Bihu comes with its own set of mythology and indigenous culture, the people of Dibrugarh used the primary antagonist Ravana to represent the BJP party, which has been accused of threatening the indigenous people's linguistic and cultural identity. Assam Chief Minister Sonowal, in particular, has been targetted for his "betrayal" of the AASU, of which he was once a member.
According to reports, the members of the AASU were also seen burning copies of the CAA in the effigy, keeping with the student body's resolution to burn the contentious Bill during the auspicious harvest festival of Bihu, as a symbol of protest against the Centre's move to enact the Bill into a law.
ALSO READ: Assam Scribe Arrested for Anti-CAA Stand, Media Fraternity Demands Release
It may be mentioned that the CAA fast-tracks the process of granting citizenship to six non-Muslim communities who took shelter in India after fleeing 'religious persecution' in the neighboring countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Support Inside Northeast (InsideNE), an independent media platform that focuses on Citizen-centric stories from Northeast India that are surprising, inspiring, cinematic and emotionally relevant.
Readers like you make Inside Northeast’s work possible.
To support our brand of fearless and investigative journalism, support us HERE.
Download:
The Inside Northeast app HERE for News, Views, and Reviews from Northeast India.
Do keep following us for news on-the-go. We deliver the Northeast