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Students� unique initiative to oppose Citizenship Bill

By City correspondent

GUWAHATI, Feb 7 - In a unique initiative, a section of students from various educational institutions of Assam has started a literary rebel programme in the State to oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

The students under the Democratic Students� Forum of Assam (DSFA) on Tuesday released a book named Kontha here. The book, which is published by the DSFA in association with All and Sundry, a Golaghat-based NGO, is a collection of 12 articles penned by youths of the State.

Contributors of articles include Jyotishma Keot of Gauhati University, Bhargav Kalpa Borah of the UCSI University of Malaysia, Partha Pratim Saikia of Cotton University, Abhijnan Pritam Sarma of the University of Delhi, Rajibul Awal of Tezpur University, Bibek Bora, a Guwahati-based youth journalist, Hannan Sikdar of Assam University, Sampurnaa Bora of Maitreyi College, the University of Delhi, Kasturi Chutia of Handique Girls� College, Angita Roy of Assam Engineering College, Dr Uddipta Borthakur of the Indian Veterinary Research Institute and Bipul Goswami of Gauhati Commerce College.

The book has been edited by Hirak Jyoti Bora and the editorial board comprises Dr Hiren Gohain, Harekrishna Deka, Ajit Kumar Bhuyan and Nitumoni Saikia as advisers.

According to the leadership of DSFA who were present at the book release programme, students from 179 colleges affiliated under Dibrugarh University and 20 colleges of Guwahati came together under its platform to raise voice against the Bill.

�The book includes articles written in Assamese, English and Hindi languages through which we want to raise our voice against the Bill which is a threat to our existence. Now, a literary rebel to sensitise the public, is the need of the hour in Assam. Most of the ruling party members now say that people have joined the protest without going through the Bill,� said editor Hirak Jyoti Bora, a student of Cotton University during the book release programme.

�Already a series of protests are taking place across the State against the Bill, but the ruling party is still firm on its stand in support of it. So, now we want to demand of the Central government to reveal the number of applications received till date from the citizens of Bangladesh for Indian citizenship to get relief from the religious persecution,� Bora added.

Pabitra Bortamuly, a member of DSFA and a student of the College of Veterinary Science, informed that they would be distributing the book among the members of both ruling and opposition parties along with the leadership of all organisations of Assam.

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