Assam shuts over Citizenship Bill dispute

GUWAHATI: Normal life across most parts of Assam remained affected on Tuesday due to a 12-hour shutdown from 5 am called by 46 indigenous groups against the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

The bill proposes to grant citizenship to religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Assam’s indigenous groups, 46 of whom are supporting the bandh, oppose the bill as they feel it will marginalize them by encouraging more migrations of the Hindus from neighbouring Bangladesh.

Tuesday’s shutdown coincided with a joint parliamentary committee (JPC)’s meeting over the bill ahead of its expected tabling during Parliament’s winter session in December. It had the support of opposition Congress as well as pro-talks faction of the ULFA.

Hundreds of protesters belonging to JPC took to the streets since early morning and burnt tyres on roads, prevented movement of vehicles and disrupted trains at some places.

Essential services have been kept outside its purview. Opposing the shutdown, the BJP-led ruling coalition in the state had ordered all government employees to attend offices and threatened traders and business establishments of revoking their licenses if they downed shutters.

“The spontaneous response to the shutdown despite government threats of crackdown shows mass opposition of the Bill in Assam...” farmers rights activist Akhil Gogoi of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti said. But despite assurances of safety most business establishments and transport operators across the state chose to shut down their shops and keep vehicles off the roads.