Defying the indefinite curfew clamped on the city, thousands of people converged at the Latasil Playground in the heart of the city on Thursday to take part in a protest meeting by All Assam Students Union (AASU), which is spearheading the agitation against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill.
Eminent litterateurs, artistes, prominent citizens, lawyers, students and common people came from all parts of the city to participate in the meeting held also by Silpi Samaj (artistes forum) and took out a protest rally against the CAB.
The indefinite curfew has been imposed in Guwahati and Dibrugarh since Wednesday evening while the Army was called in at four places, including the state capital, Dibrguarh, Tinsukia and Jorhat districts in view of the large scale violent public protests against the legislation across the state.
Addressing the meeting, AASU chief advisor Sammujjal Bhattacharya lambasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for the "ultimate betrayal" of the Assamese people by ensuring the passage of the Bill in Parliament.
He also hit out at Asom Gana Parishad, BJP's alliance partner in th state, for "stabbing the people of Assam in the back" as its sole MP in Rajya Sabha Birendra Prasad Baishya had voted in favour of the bill.
"Sonowal should not forget that he has reached the chief minister's chair from the AASU platform and his bowing to the powers in Delhi will not be tolerated either by the students or the people of Assam," Bhattacharya said.
"We condemn yesterday's lathicharge on students by a government whose chief minister (Sonowal) was once the president of the AASU," he asserted.
Stating that "extreme injustice" has been done to the people of Assam by the BJP government at the Centre, he said the AASU will not tolerate it.
"The identity and existence of the indigenous people must be protected at any cost for all times," he said.
Attacking AGP, Bhattacharya said "The party's leaders had once as AASU leaders spearheaded the anti-foreigners stir in Assam. But now they have betrayed the people in their lust for power," he said.
Many of the AASU leaders had joined the AGP which came into being after the historic Assam Accord of 1985 and the party had gone on to form the government in the state twice from 1985 to 1989 and from 1996 to 2001.
Bhattacharya, who is also the advisor to the influential North East Students Organisation (NESO), said student outfits of the region are united and AASU along with other constituents of NESO have decided to observe December 12 as 'Black Day' each year, he said.
BJP is trying to divide the people of North East by exempting states with Inner Line Permit(ILP) and the seven districts under the sixth schedule of Constitution in Assam, but people from all the NE states have extended their support to AASU in the "fight against injustice", he said.
Thanking people for defying the curfew and coming out in large numbers to protest against the bill, Bhattacharya said "People have immense power in their hands. The protestors were gheraoed in every street and lane by police and para-military forces but they managed to reach the ground.
Appealing to the people to continue their agitation against the bill in a non-violent and disciplined manner, he said "We appeal that nobody indulges in any kind of violence as it will be used by the powers to weaken the peoples' movement against the bill".
Assamese singer-musician-filmmaker Zubin Garg, who addressed the gathering which was called also by the artistes' forum 'Silpi Samaj', said the people will not accept the imposition of CAB on them.
"The artistes' community have always worked for the people who have given them recognition. It is the same with politicians who come to power by the people. But they failed us by bringing in the Bill," he said.
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