Guwahati: The situation in trouble-torn Assam has started limping back to normalcy with protesting groups led by All Assam Students Union (Aasu) deciding to confine their agitation during the day time besides dissociating from those indulging in violence in the name of protest on Friday.
The death toll in Thursday night police firing went up to three on Friday with one more among those critically wounded succumbing to bullet injuries.
With new additional director general of police G.P. Singh taking over the law and order situation and new officers taking over the trouble-torn districts after a major shake up in the state police force, Assam Police have also intensified their patrolling making their presence felt on the ground.
The defence spokesperson in a statement said that a total of eight columns of Asom Rifle have been requisitioned by the administration and all Army and Assam Rifles columns have managed to restore normalcy in their respective areas of deployment. However, there were reports of violent protests in Upper Assam’s Dibrugarh and Tinsukia district. Security sources said that in Dibrugarh protestors set a vehicle on fire while in Khwang area near Moran in Tinsukia district protestors pelted stones on Army vehicles.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people in all age groups including senior citizens on Friday once again defied the curfew peacefully and joined the sit-in-hunger-strike by Aasu at Chandmari field to oppose the Citizenship Act. A large number of people, including artists, singers and film stars observed the 10-hour fast. The Aasu has also announced that it will file a PIL in Supreme Court challenging the law.
“There is no way Assam or Assamese people will accept it. Besides peaceful protests we will continue legal battle against the law,” said Aasu chief adviser Sammujjal Bhattacharya.
Besides Aasu, several other organisations in Assam including Assam Public Works, the original petitioner in Supreme Court for updating the National Register of Citizens in Assam, has also decided to file separate PILs in the top court.
The Aasu has also announced that they are suspending all kinds of protests after sunset for a week. “We are going to start a satyagrah movement at sub-division level all over the state from December 16 to 18. Our slogan will be — Either scrap CAB or arrest us,” said Aasu leadership which reiterated their commitment for peaceful democratic agitation.
In a related development former AGP minister turned BJP leader and chairman of Assam Petrochemical Ltd Jagdish Bhuyan who was accorded cabinet rank by the government resigned from the party and all the posts in protest against the Citizenship Act.
Meanwhile, indefinite curfew which was imposed since Wednesday evening was relaxed for six hours in Guwahati and Dibrugarh on Friday morning from 7 am.
However, several parts of the state continue to reel under raging protests over citizenship law, which came into existence after presidential assent on Thursday.
As soon as curfew was relaxed, people gathered outside grocery shops and at vegetable markets in Guwahati to buy essentials. There was also rush to withdraw money from ATMs, buy medicines and procure fuel. Mobile internet and broadband services continued to remain affected.
All together 26 people who have been injured in the police firing on Thursday night have been admitted at Guwahati Medical College hospital.
The GMCH superintendent told reporters that 11 people who were injured have been released after treatment while three among others with grievous injuries are admitted in ICU.
