As Assam burns, CM Sonowal says violence won't be tolerated
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has finally spoken about the unrest in his state and promised to take strong action against those indulging in violence. He urged parents to convince their children against participating in violent protests. For days now, residents are protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which was passed in the Parliament this week and became an Act yesterday. Here's what happened.
In Assam, there's a tangible concern about Bangladeshi immigrants, who can get Indian citizenship, now that the Bill has passed. While states like Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Nagaland have been exempted from CAB, due to Inner Line Permit, most parts of Assam came under its ambit. The sixth schedule of the constitution too, "saved" just a few areas of the state.
On Wednesday, mobile internet services were suspended in Assam and a curfew was imposed. Yesterday, protesters came on streets, burnt vehicles, vandalized public property and clashed with officers. Two people lost their lives after police opened fire, while 21 were injured. As per ANI, 26 columns of the Indian Army has been sent to Assam to assist CRPF in curtailing the violence.
Breaking his silence on the raging matter, Sonowal today said, "We will not tolerate any violence. Strong action will be taken against anyone who is involved in vandalism." "I am committed to protecting the rights of the indigenous people and want to assure that interests of the indigenous people will not be harmed," he added and urged people to not be misled.
Hoping to address the concerns of natives, Sonowal said their culture, language, political and land rights will be protected through Clause 6 of Assam Accord. For those who don't know, Assam Accord was signed in 1985, to end a six-year-long agitation against migrants. This accord gave birth to National Register of Citizens (NRC), which was updated for the first time in August this year.
Further, Sonowal revealed a high-powered committee, to be chaired by retired judge Justice Biplab Sarmah, has been formed to give recommendations to ensure rights aren't compromised with. As Guwahati turned into a war zone, Sonowal said negative forces "are working". He said efforts are underway to nab these forces, who aren't related to the agitation of All Assam Students' Union (AASU) or other groups.
