by Mayukh Goswami

Mangaldai   : The people of Mangaldai , the place where the historic Assam Movement against foreign infiltrators had started 1979, were once again reminded of those passing days when a mass public rally against the Citizenship Bill (Amended) , 2016 has taken place on Thursday . The rally organized by Inter Mangaldai Unit of AASU in coordination with several local non political like minded organizations including  the forum for former Assam Movement activists , families of the Assam Movement martyrs , Mangaldai Bar Association , Brihattar Asomiya Yuva Mancha , North Mangaldai Club among others witnessed participation of several thousand of people from different walk of life including senior citizens , prominent and veteran playwright , sports organizers , students , women etc . They gheraoed the Deputy Commissioner’s office and shouted slogans against the Bill and the BJP led governments both at the Centre and the State . They demanded the Deputy Commissioner to meet the protesters physically and receive the copy of the memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister .

However as the Deputy Commissioner refused to come down to the protesters in stead send his two ADCs as his delegates to receive it , the leaders of the protesters decided not to submit the memorandum through the Deputy Commissioner and send it directly to the Prime Minister . In the memorandum signed by Gautam Kalita , President (i/c) and Satyaranjan Deka , General Secretary of AASU , Inter Mangaldai unit respectively , there were charter of demands which included scrapping of the Citizenship Bill (amended), 2016 , implementation of  Assam Accord within a stipulated time , sealing of the entire Indo-Bangla border with immediate effect and Constitutional safeguards for the indigenous people of the State .

The rally also marked a protest meeting  in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office where several present and former AASU leaders of Darrang, Sonitpur and Udalguri districts including Santanu Mahanta , Bhargab Kr Das , Anjan Goswami , Jadav Sarma , Diganta Mani Bora , Kabul Sarma , Arupjyoti Kalita ,Khanindra Rajbongshi etc were present .Earlier the people assembled at the Bhebarghar public field and marched towards the Deputy Commissioner office in a procession across the Mangaldai streets .