Human Chain formed near Silchar Jail, demand raised to shut down Detention Camps

May 19: Residents of Silchar responded to a call given by a group of conscious citizens to form a human chain as a mark of protest against the Detention Camps. On the auspicious day of 19 May, a human chain was formed from near Oriental School, Silchar upto the main gate of Silchar Central Jail. People from every walk of life including children became a part of this chain.

The detainees lodged in the Detention Camps of Assam are kept in inhuman conditions. Many persons are served D-Voter’s notice in an illegal manner and also many are declared foreigners in ex-parte judgements. Further, certain irrelevant provisions have been implemented as per-conditions for release of the detainees kept in the detention camps. It is in the backdrop of these arguments that the human chain was formed as a mark of symbolic protest against such inhuman & illegal steps of the state.

Speaking during the occasion, social activist Kamal Chakraborty said, “Today on the occasion of Language Martyr’s Day we have formed this human chain in front of Silchar District Jail to register our protest against the Detention Camps wherein the Bengalis are selictively captivated.”

Mr. Chakraborty further said that recently the Supreme Court in one its judgement has said that anybody who has spent 3 years in Detention Camps may be released subject to a bond amount of Rs. 2 lakh. He raised the issue that those who are taken to the Detention Camps are poorest of the poor. They cannot even manage Rs. 200. It is next to impossible for them to manag Rs. 2 Lakh.

Prof. Tapodhir Bhattacharjee, former Vice Chancellor of Assam University said, “It is not at all a crime to be born as a Bengali. However, the fact remains that the Bengalis are selective harassed by the state machinery, sometimes in the name of D-Voters and at times in the name of NRC or Detention Camps. He said that those who are kept inside detention camps without traial is illegal. We want to give a message to the society to stay awake and keep others awake against oppression.”

After registering their protest by forming human chain near the Silchar Central Jail, all of them walked the streets and assembled at the field of Narshintola. There a street play was organised by the members of Chorus. While interacting with way2barak, a college student said, “How can our own government do this with us? How can they selectively target the Bengalis of Assam? Where is justice? Where is our Supreme Court? Is law really blind? When will this systematic oppression of a linguistic community by the state come to an end? Will it end at all?”