MANGALDAI, Dec 13 - Normal life has been affected in Darrang district for fourth consecutive day today as all the commercial vehicles were found off the roads even though no agitational programme has been organised in the district head quarter town on Friday.
However, incidents of tyre burning on the NH-15 in different parts of district by the anti-CAB protesters have been reported on the day. The Darrang district AASU has already announced ten-hour hunger strike from Saturday early morning. �We are going take part in hunger strike from 6 am to 4 pm at Bhebarghat public bus stand campus on Saturday,� said Khanindra Rajbongshi, president, Darrang, AASU.
Earlier on Thursday, a large number of students from different colleges of the district including Mangaldai College, Mangaldai Commerce College, Mangaldai Girls� College and Sipajhar College besides other youths and members of AASU, AJYCP, CPI etc., assembled on the NH-15 in front of Mangaldai College and staged massive protest against the contentious CAB by shouting slogans, displaying banners, placards against the CAB and the BJP government. Nearly a two-hour-long rally was addressed by several present and past AASU, AJYCP and CPI leaders including Khanindra Rajbongshi, central adviser AJYCP Bhabesh Kakati and CPI leader Dr Kamaleswar Nath, among others. However, after this peaceful demonstration a group of protesters engaged in a conflict with the security forces at Islampur Chariali when they were stopped while they were on their way towards Aareng, the residential village of Mangaldai MLA Gurujyoti Das. This led to lathi-charge and several rounds of blank-firing of rubber pellets. However, no injury was reported in the incident which occurred at around 2 pm.
In view of the prevailing situation, the Darrang district administration has announced closure of Mangaldai College and Sipajhar College till December 16 next while all ensuing exams till December 14 have been postponed. �We have declared Mangaldai College and Sipajhar College closed till December 16 where exams on Friday and Saturday have been postponed,� said Kalpana Deka, ADC (in charge of administration), Darrang on Friday. Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Dass on Friday afternoon has convened a public meeting for maintaining all peace and harmony in the district.
