12- hr bandh hits normal life in Assam

More than 40 state organisations protest against Citizenship Bill

Most of the shops and business establishments remained closed across state

Protestors tried to block railway tracks and disrupt train services, but were evicted by the police

Normal life was on Tuesday paralysed across Assam, including in Guwahati, following a 12hour Assam bandh called jointly by more than 40 organisations of indigenous people of the state in protest against the Citizenship ( Amendment) Bill, 2016.

The bandh was spontaneous and total in the Brahmaputra Valley. However, it failed to make any impact in Barrak Valley.

Most of the shops and business establishments were closed across Assam. Though Assam government had issued a directive, making it mandatory for employees to report for duty, majority of the government officers wore a deserted look.

Even traders were asked to keep their shops and business establishments open, failing which their trade licences would be cancelled. Educational institutions were asked to remain open. However, traders also defied the government directives and closed their business establishments.

Protestors, who came out in large numbers all across the Brahmaputra Valley, tried to block railway tracks and disrupt train services. Police evicted the protestors from the railway track at

various places. The state government ran public transport services with police escort, but there was hardly any passenger.

The Citizenship ( Amendment) Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, seeks to grant citizenship to non- Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, who entered India before 31 December, 2014.

Members from organisations like Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti ( KMSS) and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad ( AJYCP), both supporting the shutdown, burnt tyres at several places in Guwahati since early morning to stop vehicles from plying.

Similar incidents were reported across the state from Nalbari, Sibsagar, Jagiroad, Goalpara, Mangaldoi, Tezpur, Jorhat, and Golaghat. In Golaghat, supporters of the bandh vandalised a bus carrying passengers while trains were disrupted at Kaliabor and Amguri. Police has arrested more than 100 protesters from several places.

Opposition Congress also supported the shutdown along with the United Liberation Front of Assam ( Ulfa)’ s pro- talks faction.

“We support the shutdown as Congress also believes the proposed bill should be scrapped,” said Assam Congress president Ripun Bora.

Assam BJP president Ranjit Dass, however, called the shutdown “politically motivated, against the state and its people, and misleading.”

In a statement, Mr Dass had also asked people not to support it.