GUWAHATI, Dec 14 - The Axom Nagarik Samaj, a group of noted personalities from different walks of life, today announced that it will move the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) against the incidents of atrocities carried out by government agencies across the State in the past 72 hours.
The Samaj will also move the Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Reporters Sans Fronti�res against the attacks on journalists during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) which was passed in the Parliament this week, in various parts of the State including Guwahati city.
Addressing a press conference here, executive president of the Samaj and senior journalist Ajit Kumar Bhuyan said that as the journalists of Assam have shown their active participation in the movement, the BJP-led government has been trying to impose various rules to silence both the print and electronic media.
He alleged that already the government has issued a notice to some service providers to restrict telecast of some Assamese news channels. Moreover, some new rules and regulations also have come into force for cable service providers.
Bhuyan further alleged that suspension of mobile internet service is a major attack on the journalists of Assam. Again, police and security forces opened fire in the past 72 hours without first trying to control the mob through lathicharge.
Reacting to the killing of protesters in police firing, another member of the Samaj and former bureaucrat Chandra Kanta Das said that there is a need for a judicial inquiry to find out whether there was sufficient ground to kill those persons.
�In Guwahati, two young boys were killed in police firing and there was no weapon in their hand. Then why did the police open fire on them? We need an inquiry,� Das said.
Das also pointed out that during such a troubled situation, every police station needs to detain all known bad characters as a preventive measure. But in Guwahati police did not take such initiatives, due to which the situation went out of control. Moreover, during any protest, it is the duty of the civil administration to work as a buffer zone between protesters and police to control the situation in a peaceful manner. But in Guwahati, the buffer zone does not exist.
Speaking at the press conference, senior journalist and vice president of the Samaj Prasanta Rajguru alleged that a section of people has been trying to spread rumours amid the tense situation to incite communal violence among different groups. So it is time for all to prevent the spread of such news.
Meanwhile, president of the Samaj and former chief of Assam Police Harekrishna Deka said the current situation proves that the police force was not ready to tackle it.
The Samaj stated that December 11 will remain a black day in history as the Act has attacked the pluralism characteristic of India.
It also demanded release of all persons, including leader of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti Akhil Gogoi, detained by the police during the protests against the Act.
According to the Samaj, it is time for all to prepare for a long and peaceful movement against the Act.
