Children play close to a relief camp near Dibrugarh on Monday, oblivious to the xenophobic attacks around them. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati, Nov. 24: They marched silently through the streets, but the message was loud and clear.

Thousands of people today took to the streets of Guwahati under the banner of the influential All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), denouncing the attacks on Bihari people in the state. They issued a clarion call for the creation of “a violence-free atmosphere.”

The procession, comprising people from different walks of life, carried placards in their hands with slogans like “Stop killings” and “We want a violence-free atmosphere”.

The marchers also demanded safety for railway passengers and 100 per cent reservation for local people in the Railways.

The silent procession, taken out by the AASU, caught the attention of Bihar chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav, who has arrived on a two-day goodwill mission. He is leading a delegation of MPs from Bihar.

Lauding the students’ organisation for taking out the peace march, Laloo assured an AASU delegation during a discussion at the circuit house that the Bihar government would take stern action against those involved in attacks on railway passengers in Bihar. He pointed out that the Bihar government has already handed over to the CBI the probe into attacks on railway passengers.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief S. Sudarshan also led a peace march in the city. It was taken out by his organisation to appeal to the people to maintain peace and amity.

The former Bihar chief minister also assured the AASU delegation that he would raise the issue of reservation of jobs for local people on the floor of Parliament.

Laloo Prasad Yadav later told mediapersons that the AASU leaders have clarified that the students’ union has not been demanding reservation only for Assamese youths, but for youths of all communities, including Biharis, who have been living in Assam.

The AASU delegation comprised its adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya, president Prabin Boro, general secretary Amiyo Kumar Bhuyan and other central leaders of the union.

Sharing the resentment expressed by the students against “discrimination towards the Northeast” by the Centre, the RJD chief said New Delhi has always been meting out stepmotherly treatment towards the seven sisters and Bihar. Yadav appealed to the AASU and the people of Assam to ensure that the age-old unity and integrity of Assam and Bihar are not broken.

He said relations between Assam and Bihar go back 400 years, when the British had first brought in Bihari labourers to the state. He told the student leaders that if the exodus of panic-stricken Biharis is allowed to continue, it would only impact adversely on Assam’s economy as these people have been contributing to the state’s economy in many ways.

The former Bihar chief minister stressed the need for instilling confidence among the Bihari people while also assuring them that there would not be any recurrence of attacks on railway passengers in his own state.

The Bihar chief minister is scheduled to address a peace rally tomorrow, to be organised by the Kamrup Chamber of Commerce at Fancy Bazar.

Both the AASU and the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) have strongly condemned the killing of innocent Biharis in Assam and have called for a “halt to mindless violence.”

The AASU has convened a meeting of its central executive committee at Guwahati on Friday to decide its future course of action on job reservations and to discuss the prevailing situation.