Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu is a happy festival marked by songs, feasting and dance. But this year, with anti-CAA protests engulfing the entire state of Assam, the Assam People’s Welfare Association has decided to pay a special tribute to the sacrifices made by the Assamese people in resisting the controversial legislation.
As many as 5 lives were lost during the protests. Sam Stafford, Dipanjal Das, Iswar Nayak, Abdul Amin and Bijendra Panging lost their lives while demanding the rollback of the CAA.
Teenager and a budding musician, Sam Stafford, lost his life during the anti-CAA protests in Guwahati when he was hit by a stray bullet. Sam paid the ultimate price, becoming the youngest martyr of the anti-CAA movement in Assam.
The Bihu celebrations organized by the Assam Association of Noida will commemorate the life of Assam’s youngest anti-CAA martyr, Sam Stafford, along with that of others who have lost their lives to the cause.
Renowned Assamese singer Rupam Bhuyan and his group, Northeast Breeze, will honour the memory of Sam and other martyrs through their songs and music on January 18 at RWA Community Centre, Sector 119, Noida. “In the end, the hope is that the ultimate sacrifice of the brave Assamese martyrs will not go in vain, and inspire higher ideals among the people in the state and the nation at large,” a press release stated.
“We pray for peace and development in the region, and expect that Bihu will be the coming together of the extended Axomiya (people with origins in Assam) community,” said Geetartha Darshan Baruah, President, Assam People’s Welfare Association.
