Guwahati: The opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, gathered further momentum and strength on Thursday with senior political leaders cutting across party lines joined hands seeking scrapping of the proposed legislation.
The Left Democratic Manch and Forum Against the Citizenship Act Amendment Bill not only brought arch rivals, former chief ministers Tarun Gogoi of the Congress and Prafulla Kumar Mahanta of the AGP, together but they also spoke unanimously against the bill at Lakhidhar Bora Khetra here.
CPM leader Hemen Das, leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia and former AGP MP Kumar Deepak Das were also present.
Mahanta said, "The Assamese people have passed through tumultuous times in the past. Citizenship cannot be granted on the basis of religion. The bill should be withdrawn immediately. The snake and the mongoose have come together to protest. This proves that the people can come together when our identity is under threat."
Gogoi said, "This is not a fight of the Left front or Right front but of all fronts. The Assamese have won in every agitation. They remain silent but when they rise, they become very dangerous. This agitation has touched all classes of people. We don't need a border if foreigners are to be invited."
The Manch and the Forum appealed to the people to restrain themselves and avoid conflict in their agitation to the bill, which proposes citizenship to minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India before December 31, 2014, owing to religious persecution.
The two organisations also submitted a memorandum to chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Saikia requesting the chief minister to take a firm and clear stand on the bill. They also asked Sonowal to convene an emergency session of the Assembly to discuss the bill.
The Manch comprises parties such as the CPI, CPI (M-L), NCP, JDS, LDP, Asom Sangrami Manch, Aam Admi Party, Revolutionary Communist Party, AIUDF and Samajwadi Party while the Forum comprises prominent citizens like Hiren Gohain, Harekrishna Deka, Udayaditya Bharali, Jyotiprasad Saikia, Dinesh Baishya, Haren Das, Ramesh Chandra Kalita, Kamal Kumar Medhi, Jibon Goswami, Abu Nasser Sayid Ahmed, Abdul Mannan and Haidar Hussain, among others.
Forum chairman Gohain said, "At present, Assam is facing a grave danger. A conspiracy is being hatched and we should not be standing there doing nothing. The bill intends to make servants of us all. Independent thought will not be possible if the bill is passed. We have to oppose it with all our might." Educationist Baishya said, "The definition of Hindutva is being changed. Bad days are approaching."
This is the second major protest in the city against the bill after the AASU-organised mass hunger strike at Chandmari here on May 29.
