Indefinite Curfew Posed In Guwahati after the Approval of Citizen Amendment Bill

December 12, 2019

583

Currently, indefinite curfew has been placed in Guwahati, being the epicentre of anti-CAB protests. Army has been positioned in the city and Assam Rifles personnel had also marched in Tripura on Wednesday as the two north-eastern states plunged into chaos over the extremely sensitive Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

It is revealed by Army PRO Lt Col P Khongsai that two Army columns have been deployed in Guwahati and are carrying out flag marches too.

Reports from Tinsukia quoting officials have also claimed that the deployed Army has been carrying out flag marches in the city.

A Defence spokesman had also earlier said in a statement that in Shillong two columns of the Army were deployed in Tripura.

In all by late evening, the situation stood by the positioning of troops of the Assam Rifles and a paramilitary force commanded by Army officials, looking to the severe violence in Tripura.

#PHOTO | Army takes over the city in #Guwahati #CitizenshipAmendmentBill2019 pic.twitter.com/SmFiDTHq0h

— G Plus (@guwahatiplus) December 12, 2019

Internet services have also been suspended in 10 districts of Assam, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Kamrup (Metro) and Kamrup, since 7 pm on Wednesday, because of massive protests raged across cities, to prevent its“misuse” in social media to disturb peace & calmness and also to maintain law and order. It had been suspended in a notification issued by Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Political Department) Kumar Sanjay Krishna.

Though the curfew was confronted by the protesters and was still seen on the streets of Guwahati, where most major roads were blocked.

Meanwhile, the Congress party has also called a shutdown in Tripura on Thursday. Irrespective of this call, protesters, a majority of the students, fought pitched battles with security forces, including in front of the secretariat, the seat of the BJP government.

Protesters, who fought back were fired tear gas shells and baton-charged by the police. Though Assam was fuming with protests rocking several parts of the state on the day the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was still hotly debated and passed in the Rajya Sabha after its clearance in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

Some student leaders claimed many agitators were injured in police action in front of the secretariat.

According to off the record accounts, hundreds of protesters have been locked up in Guwahati and other places like Dibrugarh and Jorhat. Agitators had also damaged a stage erected on the road for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s planned summit meeting with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe scheduled on Sunday.

Similar happenings were reported from Tripura capital Agartala.

The protestors had pulled down display boards and posters advertising the government’s welfare schemes and made a bonfire of government belongings before the secretariat damaged the vehicles of the police commissioner and joint police commissioner’s, set buses and other vehicles on fire.

The government employees stood by the student protestors at the secretariat wore ‘gamosa’, the state’s symbol of honour, and chanted slogans against the CAB.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was reported to have been abandoned at the Guwahati airport for some time on his return from Tezpur because of the confrontation of the bill.

Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) of Akhil Gogoi went on ‘hartal’ to protest against the controversial bill until it is withdrawn.

Life almost came to a crashing halt in Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Jorhat, Sivsagar, parts of Guwahati and in some districts of Lower Assam.

Gauhati and Dibrugarh Universities had postponed all examinations scheduled till December 14.

Studies in most of the universities and colleges were ceased as students had joined the protests. Schools were open but there were hardly any children as buses they were travelling on were abandoned.

As per the protests, the Northeast Frontier Railway has cancelled many trains and rescheduled some that originate from the state.

NF Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Subhanan Chanda claimed that at least 31 trains have either been cancelled; short terminated or diverted anticipating “disruptions in train movement.”