By Bhupen Goswami (PNI)

Guwahati : The 11-hour Assam bandh called by All Assam Students Union (AASU) and 30 other ingenious organisations from 5 am on Tuesday turned violent in many parts of Assam. Incidents of stone pelting, tyre burning, and occasional lathi charges were reported from various places of the state so far. The bandh has been called to withdraw the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 which the government will table in Lok Sabha today. The bandh supporters resorted to damaging public properties and vandalized several vehicles at Guwahati Club, Noonmati, Beltola, Maligaon and many places of Guwahati.A number of vehicles including government properties were damaged in stone-pelting by the bandh volunteers in upper Assam as per reports. In early morning the bandh supporters swarmed in large numbers and blocked the roads by burning tyres in various districts of Assam. Commercial vehicles, government which were seen plying on the roads, were damaged by the protesters.

Train services were hit and passengers stranded at different railway stations – as per reports. The bandh has also been backed by 70 other indigenous organisations of Assam, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) , Congress and Assam Gana Parishad (AGP). North East Students Organisation (NESO) has also called for a North East bandh today against the center proposed citizenship amendment bill 2016. “We will never be minorities in our own state. The bill once passed will make the Assamese people minorities in Assam. The BJP government in Assam came to power promising to protect ‘Jati’, ‘Mati’, and ‘Bheti’ (community, land, and foundation) of Assam. However, it has made a U-turn on its promises and is hatching a conspiracy against indigenous communities,” said AASU chief advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya . “We have been fighting for several decades to secure our indigenous rights and immigrants free state. Sadly, the government has turned a blind eye to our legitimate demands,” said Bhattacharya . It is to be mentioned that, ” In Assam, the All Assam Students Union (AASU) has called for a state-wide bandh after a gap of 10 years.Rail blockade across Assam were witnessed after All Assam Students Union (AASU) and 30 indigenous organisations called for a 11 hour Assam bandh on Tuesday against the Citizenship amendment Bill 2016. Protesters of Students Federation of India (SFI) and Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) staged a protest at gate no 2 of Guwahati Railway Station.

The protesters also got into a fight with the security personnel. The Guwahati-bound Kamakhya was stopped near Moranhaat Station by the AASU protesters. AASU also staged protest a Kaliabor and halted trains. In Tinsukia’s Makum, half naked All Adivasi Students’ Association (ATASA ) and Tai Ahom Yuva Parishad protesters staged a protest in and halted Lidu – Tinsukia express. The protesters on the rail tracks today demanded the withdrawal of the citizenship Amendment Bill which is to be passed at Lok Sabha today.The Assam Bandh called by the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) has seen massive support from the people across the state and strong protests were seen in Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s home village. The villagers have staged a protest in front of Sonowal’s residence in Dibrugarh alleging that he is no more a ‘Jatir Nayak’ but a ‘Khalnayak’.

The people of the state are agitated due to the BJP’s stand and most importantly Sonowal supporting the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which is all set to be passed in the Lok Sabha today. The CM’s support towards the Bill and the Centre leaving behind the emotions and what would the Bill, when passed, bring to the native and the indigenous population of the state have led people to lose faith in him leading to the massive protests in front of his house.With law and order at unrest in Assam, due to the Assam Bandh called by AASU opposing the Citizenship Amendment Bill, an important meeting has been called at Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s official residence. All the spokespersons of the Assam BJP party have been invited for the meeting. Party President Ranjit Das, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Naba Doley, Bhabesh kalita are among those leaders attending the meeting. It may be noted that the state BJP leaders who maintained silence during the state’s struggle to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill, have now called for an emergency meeting due to the state’s present situation.