Activists and citizens under various banners, led by Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and its nearly 70 ally organisations, protested against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Guwahati on November 16.
The ongoing protests under ‘Sankalpa Shikha Jatra’ culminated in Guwahati with the protesters staging a massive demonstration near Dispur.
The agitators, however, were prevented from holding the proposed ‘Dispur Gherao’ programme and the marchers were stopped by police at various locations in Guwahati.
Addressing the gathering, KMSS chief adviser Akhil Gogoi said that the people of Assam would not relent until and unless the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is rescinded at the earliest. “The people will be satisfied with nothing less than withdrawal of the ill-intended citizenship bill that will make the Assamese people minority in our homeland. The Sarbananda Sonowal-led state government must step down if it cannot convince the Centre to rescind the bill,” he added.
Earlier in the morning, activists from KMSS, AJYCP and other organisations started pouring into Ganesh Udyan at Dispur. However, the protesters, who were proceeding towards Guwahati from other places of the state, were stopped by police at Jalukbari, Amingaon and Sonapur.
The protesting organisations had a ‘Dispur Gherao’ plan but the authorities gave them permission to hold a meeting at the Ganesh Udyan with 1,000 people.
The administration had earlier imposed Section 144 in the city in an attempt to foil the assemblage at Dispur.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 seeks to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who fled religious persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan and entered India before December 31, 2014.
