Assam: Jailed CAA Protester Cuts 1-Yr-Old Daughter's B'day Cake from Behind Bars, Pic Goes Viral

Guwahati, December 27, 2019:

Amid the rising tensions in Assam between the people and Government over the controversial amendment of the Citizenship Act, losses have been incurred on both sides.

However, the people who took part in the protests have been the greatest sufferers. After reports started coming in that some miscreants had resorted to vandalism, the state machinery unleashed its complete fury on the agitators. With as many as 5 protesters having died during police firing in Assam, and hundreds being locked up across the state, many still face an uncertain fate.

Amrit Dutta, a 'son of the soil' from Digboi in Upper Assam, who was arrested while protesting against the CAA, was compelled to celebrate his daughter's first birth-anniversary at the lock-up. The image of Dutta cutting his daughter's cake at the lock-up is being widely distributed on social media, and has drawn reactions from the citizenry of Assam, with many expressing grief at this heart-wrenching situation.

ALSO READ: ‘Assam Bandh’ on December 30 in Demand of Akhil Gogoi’s Release

Dutta's is not the only family that has been torn apart during the anti-CAA protests. Over in Golaghat, peasant leader Akhil Gogoi's mother, Priyada, is awaiting her son's return, as she hopes he will help restore vision to her failing eyes. However, the future continues to look bleak for Gogoi, who has now been remanded to 14-days judicial custody.

At the same time, the mistrust of the people towards the Government over the 'CAA' continues, with Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently scaling down the number of beneficiaries who will benefit from from the 'CAA' to 4 lakh (earlier, the number had been announced at 5.42 lakh).

Despite these assurances from the Government, the protests against the CAA are on in full-swing in Assam, with lakhs upon lakhs of people still pouring out onto the streets to express their distaste for the Bill-turned-Act.

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.