Violent protests continued for the third consecutive day in more than a dozen states of India on Sunday also, against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, report NDTV, The Hindu, The Telegraph, India Today and Hindustan Times.
Protestors at different states of India torched buses, trains, and rail stations, uprooted rail tracks and blocked highways in protest of the bill passed in Indian Parliament four hours after it was placed.
Mentionable, the CAB offers fast track citizenship to Hindus, Christians, Buddhists and Jews facing persecution in India’s neighbourhood of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The only exception it makes is for Muslims. Coupled with the nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC) that Shah keeps threatening is imminent, it takes India down a road of religion defining citizenship, which is at total variance with our secular Constitution.
Death toll in Assam police firing rises to five
The toll in Thursday’s police firing in Assam on protesters against the Citizenship Act rose to five on Sunday with two more succumbing to their injuries at the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), reports The Hindu.
“Two more people died people died of injuries in the hospital on Saturday and Sunday. Ishwar Nayak and Abdul Alim were injured in the firing,” said Ramen Talukdar, spokesperson of GMCH.
The two men were among 27 injured protesters who were admitted to the GMCH. Police claimed that some of the injured had been hit by rubber bullets. On Sunday, authorities relaxed curfew in Guwahati and parts of Dibrugarh district for several hours.
Violent protest continues in Bengal
Protests over the amended Citizenship Act continued in various parts of Bengal for the third consecutive day on Sunday as sporadic incidents of violence were reported from Nadia, Birbhum, North 24 Parganas and Howrah districts of the state, police said on Sunday.
In Amdanga and Kalyani areas of North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts, agitators blocked various thoroughfares, set fire to wooden logs on the streets.
Shops were also ransacked and tyres burnt in Deganga area of North 24 Parganas.
In Nadia, demonstrators blocked Kalyani Express Highway, some of them burning copies of the amended Act.
Similar protests were reported from Domjur area of Howrah district, parts of Burdwan and Birbhum, with agitators taking out rallies and shouting slogans against the Narendra Modi government.
Locals in Sagardighi in Murshidabad district blocked the National Highway 34 and burnt down tyres during the anti-CAA protests on Sunday morning. In Cooch Behar, protesters block the highway that connects the district Mathabhanga.
Meanwhile, in North 24 Parganas, Congress workers took to streets in protest against the CAA. They blocked the Bhyabla railway station at Basirhat subdivision on Sunday resulting in disruption of services for some time.
Police contingents have been rushed to the troubled areas to control the situation.
Unlike the past two days, however, train movements were smooth in the Howrah-Sealdah and Kharagpur sections, according to reports.
Senior TMC leader and state education minister Partha Chatterjee appealed for peace and assured the protesters that the amended Act would not be implemented in the state.
"We would appeal to everybody to maintain calm and peace. We can assure you that law won't be implemented in Bengal," Chatterjee said.
West Bengal BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu accused the ruling TMC government of doing little to control the control deteriorating law and order situation.
Violent protests against the Citizenship Act have rocked several parts of the state over the past two days with agitators torching buses, railways stations and vandalising public property.
The amended Act has put the entire Northeast region and West Bengal on the boil as people fear that it might exacerbate the problem of illegal immigration.
Muslims across the country apprehend that the move could be a precursor to the country-wide implementation of the National Register for Citizens (NRC).
Internet suspended in six WB districts
The internet has been suspended in parts of Bengal as violent protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, entered a third straight day.
Suspension has been announced in Malda, Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur and Howrah districts, as well as the Barasat and Basirhat subdivisions in North 24 Paraganas and Baruipur and Canning subdivisions in South 24 Paraganas.
In its statement, the Bengal government said that despite repeated requests and advisories ‘some externally mobilised communal forces (were) inciting violence and conspiring to create disorder’.
Anti-CAA protest not held in campus, says Jamia admin
Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) administration has clarified that a large number of locals participated in the protest and it was not held on the varsity campus.
Students of JMI had protested against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 and National Register of Citizens (NRC) following which the scores of protesters and policemen were injured in the fray that besieged the university.
On Saturday, JMI had announced that it has postponed all examinations.
"Demonstration was not held in University campus nor was it protest of Jamia. A large number of locals participated in it. We held talks with students, now they are protesting peacefully," said Ahmad Azeem, Jamia Millia Islamia PRO.
School students, common people protest in Assam
Film stars, celebrities, school students and common people cutting across religion gathered in thousands to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act on Sunday in Guwahati.
The stars sat on the floor with thousands of common people singing songs, clapping hands in the air and frequently raising slogans of 'Jai Aai Ahom'.
The civil society wanted to ensure the movement remains non-violent and its demonstrations will be carried out ensuring there is no more vandalism or clashes like the initial days after.
Sunday’s protest was organised by various artistes of Assam.
Among the thousands of protestors was a group of school students sitting upfront as the protest began. Some of them were only 14 and 15 and sat patiently in the winter.
Internet ban has not stopped us from coming here. We expect around 2000 students from schools to come here. If the internet was working the numbers would be much more, said Sandeep Singh, a 15-year-old class 9 student.
We are secular but we have our own problems. The government says it wants to help persecuted minorities from other countries but what about people of Assam, said Fardeen Irfan, 14-year-old.
Upasna Sharma another 14-year-old student sitting next to her friends said, We have a problem of unemployment. If people from other countries come it will be worse.
The students were vocal and said even their parents will be joining the protest.