A dawn-to-dusk bandh against the Centre’s decision to give citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh and Pakistan drew a total response in most of the districts of Assam on Saturday.
The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) called the bandh, which was supported by several student bodies like the Maran, Motock, Dimasa, Karbi, Goriya-Moriya, Sonowal-Kachari, Madahi and Bishnupuria Manipuri and many other communities. Regional political party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) had also supported the bandh.
The bandh that started at 5 am was hugely successful as no vehicular traffic was seen on the roads in all districts of Assam and educational institutions, financial institutions and all markets remained closed during the bandh hours.
Government offices too recorded thin attendance and some of them remained closed due to the fact that it was a second Saturday, a Government holiday for some organisations.
Police said that there were some reports of stray violence from Tinsukia, Nagaon, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur, Darrang, Golaghat, lakhimpur. “Some of the bandh supporters came to the streets to enforce the bandh and stopped the vehicular movement. This forced us to arrest some of them from the spot. They were released later,” police said.
Although there was no vehicular traffic to be seen on the road, the State-run Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) buses continued their services in different places including Capital city Guwahati, carrying the commuters.
The AGP, who had extended its support to the bandh on Saturday, vowed to launch a severe agitation against the Central Government’s move and reiterated that it would not allow any more burden of illegal Bangladeshi and Pakistani citizens on Assam.
“The Assam Accord must be implemented and we are going to ensure that each clause of the historical accord that commits to expel all its illegal citizens after March 25, 1971 is upheld,” said AGP president Atul Bora.
He said the AGP would launch its agitation by organising a demonstration in Guwahati on Monday.
Meanwhile, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti launched a hunger strike at the Dighalipukhuri park in Guwahati to protest against the Centre’s move.