Assam ushers in Bihu by burning Citizenship Bill

Guwahati, January 15, 2019:

As residents of Assam took a day off from protesting the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, many renowned personalities of the state made their stand on the Bill clear by feeding it to the flames of the meji.

Dr. Hiren Gohain, prominent intellectual of the state, who came under fire of local authorities when charges of sedition were filed against him, was seen feeding the Bill to a bonfire at advocate Arup Borbora’s house while film director Jahnu Barua, Haider Hussain, ‘Amar Asom’ editor Prasanta Rajguru, senior journalist Manjit Mahanta, advocate Hafeez Rashid Chaudhary, Nekibur Zaman and singer Pulak Banerjee cheered him on. It is to be mentioned that Gohain has been granted interim bail by the Guwahati high court.

The Bill was also burned by senior journalist Mrinal Talukdar, author Anuradha Sharma Pujari, actor Pranjal Saikia, among others.

Members of Assam Jatiyatabadi Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) also burned the Bill at Teok.

The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leader Akhil Gogoi had urged people across the state to burn the Bill as a sign of protest against the implementation of the proposed Bill. Gogoi had also encouraged people to pin up Gamuchas in their houses during Bihu as part of Gogoi’s ongoing ‘Gamucha protest’.