Assam bandh: Government on a collision course with 46 organizations

The state government has asked people not to participate in the bandh and warned that strict action will be taken against government employees bunking duties on the day. It has ordered that not only schools, colleges, courts or offices, business establishments also must function normally. Else, trade licenses will be cancelled.

All Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police have been asked to take action against troublemakers. The government asked the police to arrest picketers immediately if they demonstrate at any public place in support of the strike.

The government has also warned that if any person is found to be involved in any sort of vandalism of public property, then the cost of renovation will be recovered from the organization which he or she belongs to.

The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), which is one of the organizations calling the bandh, slammed the government for the directives.

“The bandh has been called against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. This is a dangerous bill and the people of Assam stand opposed to it. It is due to illegal immigration that the indigenous people in Tripura have been for long faced with hardships. The Assamese people will not live under the Bengali Hindus or Muslims. If the Citizenship Bill is passed, the locals in Assam will lose their political space. We know bandh causes losses and hardship but we called it as the locals are afraid of losing their identity and existence,” KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi said.

He demanded an apology from BJP state president Ranjit Dass for calling the 46 organisations “so-called nationalist organisations”.

“Ranjit Dass should apologise to the people of Assam, otherwise he will not be allowed to live in peace,” Gogoi warned.