Assam will quit India if Citizenship Bill passed: Akhil Gogoi

January 27: If the NDA-led BJP government at the Centre fails to “respect” the sentiments of the indigenous people of the state, Assam will be bound to quit India. If government respects us, we will be with India otherwise we will quit. This was the clarion call given by Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti leader Akhil Gogoi while addressing a huge gathering in Panitola of Tinsukia district on Sunday during a protest demonstration against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

Akhil Gogoi further said that, “We should have the courage to make it clear to the Government like Mizoram.” It needs mention here that on the Republic Day a statewide boycott call in Mizoram was given by an umbrella organisation of NGO Coordination Committee, an organisation of civil society groups and student bodies against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Amidst the boycott call, Kummanam Rajasekharan, Governor of Mizoram addressed a virtually empty ground at the state capital on the 70th Republic Day.

Meanwhile, when Akhil Gogoi was giving a call in a meeting at Brahmaputra Valley to ‘quit India’, a reverse picture was noticed in Barak Valley on the same day. A cultural Fest entitled ‘Poush-Bhogali Milon Mela’ was organised at Gandhi Bagh Silchar by All Assam Bengali Hindu Association (AABHA) in association with Silchar Municipality Board on 26 and 27 January.

A panel discussion was also held on the theme of Assamese-Bengali relationship. Thus, when at a time Barak Valley was celebrating the Bengali-Assamese unity by celebrating ‘Bihu’ along with ‘Dhamail’ during the ‘Poush-Bhogali Mela’ at Silchar, Akhil Gogoi was giving a sanguine call to secede from India on the issue of Citizenship Bill.