GUWAHATI, Dec 23 - Terming it as a government-aided conspiracy, the leadership of All Assam Students� Union (AASU) today expressed strong resentment over the appeal made by 16 prominent persons from different walks of life to stop the agitation against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
The appeal published in a section of the local print media of Assam was signed by former Governor of Meghalaya Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary, educationist Dr Nirmal Kumar Choudhury, senior journalist Dhirendra Nath Chakravartty, former president of Asam Sahitya Sabha Kanak Sen Deka, former senior bureaucrat Binanda Kumar Gogoi, artiste Jatin Goswami, former Director General of National Museum Dr Rabin Dev Choudhury, writer Ratneswar Basumatary, actor Pranjal Saikia, filmmaker Manju Bora, dramatist Abinash Sarma, actresses Manjula Barua and Purnima Pathak Saikia, educationist Bhabani Prasad Adhikary, writer Dr Jaykanta Sarma and Dr Gyanendra Barman.
Pointing out the damage caused in the past few days during the protests against the Act, in the appeal, the signatories said that as the CAA was now a sub-judice matter, the reason behind the announcement for a long-term movement was �mysterious�. The signatories said the number of protests that had taken place in the past 40 years caused severe damage to the State�s socioeconomic fabric.
Rise of a �third force� in the ongoing protests also posed as a challenge to the Assamese people, they said, adding that the leadership of the protests should exclude students, teachers and employees of the State from the CAA movement and urged everyone to wait for the court�s verdict. They also appealed to all sections of people to encourage all kinds of economic development in the State and warned everyone to be careful so that no one could avail political benefit from the protests.
Reacting to the appeal, AASU adviser Samujjal Bhattacharya said, �The appeal is very mysterious in nature. These 16 personalities should raise the demand to repeal the Act in front of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. If the government repeals the Act, then the movement will also stop.�
AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said, �The appeal proved all these 16 persons as agents of the government and indirectly, they have rejected the democratic mass movement. The signatories of the appeal also include some persons who can do anything to gain government award and honour.�
Asserting that the conscience of the Assamese people is the main force behind the mass movement, Gogoi said at a time when all leading citizens of Assam were coming onto the streets against the Act, the appeal made by this particular section of people smacked of a conspiracy to degrade the moral strength of the Assamese people.
�It is a conspiracy to stop the mass movement. First, the State government made an appeal through the heads of universities of Assam and now another such appeal has come through the print media. It is a very shameful act. Today, advocates are on the streets against the Act. Many higher education institutions� students and teachers have also raised their voice against the Act. It is clear that the movement will continue,� AASU president Dipanka Nath said.
Today, thousands of senior citizens took part in the protest against the Act organised by the AASU and 30 tribal organisations across the State. In Guwahati, a number of senior citizens gathered at Latasil playground and raised voice against the Act.
Addressing the gathering, Bhattacharya urged all the senior citizens to play the role of guardians in the movement.
The AASU leadership informed the gathering that on December 24, 26 and 28, every anchalik committee of the AASU would stage protests in their respective areas against the Act.
