A group of hearing and speech-impaired youth of Assam, including a pageant winner, on Wednesday joined an anti-CAA protest in Guwahati, as people of the state reaffirmed their resolve to counter the legislation with unrelenting spirit.
A large number of protesters gathered in the Latasil playground in the heart of the city at the call of All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), whose chief advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya hailed the solidarity shown by women in the movement.
While AASU leaders and State Government employees, who ceased work on Wednesday, made emotive speeches after being detained at Digholi Pukhuri, in the milling crowd was a group of youth who were being given the import of the speeches through sign language.
Among them was Miss India Deaf 2016, Anjala Lahon, who intently looked at the sign language interpreter, and waved her hand whenever people cried ‘Jai Ai Axom’ (glory to mother Assam).
“We may not be able to hear it or listen to any words, but we understand the pain of our Assamese people, and we are together in this struggle to have the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) eventually revoked. If it is not repealed, we will continue to protest,” Lahon told PTI, with the help of an interpreter.
Besides Lahon, several young men and women under the banner of the Guwahati-based Assam Association of the Deaf turned out for the protest.
Wearing face painting like mime artists, matching black T-shirts and ‘gamosas’, the young men joined the protesting masses. One of them had ‘Jai Ai Axom’ painted on his face while another had ‘No CAA’, and others had ‘Mur Axom Thik Korok (Restore My Assam) and ‘No Infiltrators’ painted in red on their faces.
General Secretary of Assam Association of the Deaf, T K Sarma, said he had participated in the Assam Movement (1979-85), and the disabled community was coming out in full support because the CAA is “totally against the Accord”.
“We can neither hear the rallying cries of our fellow Assamese people nor speak to them, but our heart beats as one. We are all Assamese first and fight this battle till the end,” Sarma said.