GUWAHATI, Jan 10 - The artiste fraternity of Assam in association with the Chandmari unit of the AASU took out a torchlight rally on Friday to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act as well as the violence at the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus in New Delhi.
Over 500 protesters gathered at the AEI ground at Chandmari at 5 pm and started their march towards RG Baruah Road Tiniali, shouting slogans like �No CAA�, �We will not accept CAA� and �Joi Aai Asom.�
Artistes including Barsha Rani Bishaya, Priyanka Bharali, JP Das, Ajay Phukan, and AASU general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi among others participated in the rally.
The artiste fraternity also condemned the violence at JNU and asserted that they were with the students and teachers in their fight for justice. Barsha Rani Bishaya said, �We will not accept the CAA and continue our protest.�
Lurinjyoti Gogoi said, �The Act is in conflict with the Assam Accord. Dumping of Hindu migrants from Bangladesh in Assam will not be allowed.�
Sit-in by midday meal workers: The All Assam Primary and Upper Primary Midday Meal Cook and Helper Association also staged a sit-in protest calling for immediate scrapping of the Act and fulfilment of its demands.
More than a hundred protesters gathered at 11 am at Chachal and started shouting slogans like �Joi Aai Asom� and �No CAA�. Association adviser Trishna Deka shaved off her hair to show her anger against the government. She said, �Like the previous regime, the present government has also betrayed the people. They�re not paying attention to the voices of the Assamese people. The public are being forced to accept the Act, but we won�t accept it at any cost. The government is also betraying midday meal workers for years. We�ve been raising our voice over our demands, which are yet to be fulfilled.�
