NE boils, 3 killed in Guwahati as anti-CAB stir rages in Assam

GHY/Delhi, Dec 12
India's North East is up in arms. Violent protests continue unabated in Assam and Tripura even a day after Rajya Sabha passed the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, pushing it one step closer towards becoming a law of the land. The Government has rushed Army and paramilitary troops to Assam and Tripura while protests gather momentum and agitators defy curfew orders to hit the streets.
Three people were killed in police firing at Guwahati on a group of anti-CAB protesters in the evening today.  The three were rushed to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital but they succumbed to their injuries later, reports New Indian Express.
Amit Shah's visit to Arunachal has been cancelled. There is an indefinite curfew in Guwahati along with a mobile internet ban in 10 Assam districts, including Kamrup, as part of sweeping measures to stem the rising tide of protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.
The Army was called out in Guwahati on Wednesday evening following this. In Tripura, Assam Rifles units were deployed earlier in the day to prevent a rerun of the violent protests in Dhalai and North Tripura districts on Tuesday.
Paramilitary forces also did a flag march in Dibrugarh, which along with Guwahati witnessed the most strident protests. Guwahati was a city under siege all day, with thousands of protesters out on the streets to join a long march to the State Secretariat in defiance of the heavy police presence all around.
Neither tear gas nor rubber bullets and water cannons could deter the protesters, most of them students. In fact the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill's passage through Parliament has divided the country into jubilations and protests. While Hindu refugee communities across India erupted with joy as Rajya Sabha voted 125 to 99 in favour of the Bill, a majority of North East remained on edge.
Train and flight services in the two North Eastern States have been widely affected as thousands of protesters have already come out on the streets of Guwahati despite curfew and prohibitory orders.
A day after the Citizenship Bill cleared the Rajya Sabha test, massive protests that started earlier this week continue to keep Guwahati and other parts of Assam and Tripura on the edge. Protesters burnt buses, vehicles and tyres on the road on Wednesday and protests are gathering momentum even now.
Guwahati Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar has been removed amid violent protests against the Citizenship Bill. Munna Prasad Gupta will be the new Guwahati police chief.
On Thursday as well, thousands of protesters were seen defying orders in Guwahati and took to the streets, prompting police to open fire. Protests have only intensified in Assam while police say they had to open fire in Lalung Gaon area in Guwahati. The agitators claimed that at least four persons were injured in the shooting.
Local train services in Tripura and Assam have been suspended following a review of the security situation in the two States. The move has stranded many in these two States which anyway have limited connectivity to the rest of the country. Many passengers are stranded in Kamakhya and Guwahati. Many airlines too have cancelled flight services to Assam, thus stranding many.
Several prominent personalities from the Assamese film and music industry, including singer and icon Zubeen Garg, joined student protests on Thursday as hundreds joined the march that was called by students' body AASU and peasants' organisation KMSS.
Assam's Kamrup district witnessed an absolute shutdown with offices, schools and colleges closed for the day. Shops were also shut, with no transport plying as all major roads, including the NH 31, being blocked.
The Government on Thursday issued an advisory to private television channels to be extra cautious about airing content that is likely to incite violence. The advisory has been issued as a caution against showing the violent protests in North East.
Centre has rushed five columns of Army troops to Assam while three columns of Assam Rifles troops have been deployed in Tripura. The Army conducted flag march in Guwahati on Thursday morning as the city braced for another round of fierce protests.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal once again appealed for calm. He said, "I appeal to the people to maintain peace and not get misled."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to reassure the people of North East that the controversial Bill won't affect the spirit and nature of the region. He said, "There are attempts to fuel tensions in North East, don't be misled by Congress. The traditions, culture, language etc of Assam and other States won't be affected." However, Congress reminded PM Modi that the Internet is suspended in the region and they won't be able to receive his message.
Rajya Sabha on Wednesday voted in favour of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and passed the legislation that has left the country with a deep divide. The Bill seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim immigrants from the neighbouring nations of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Assam.
On Monday the Bill was cleared by the Lok Sabha and on Wednesday it inched another step closer to change the citizenship laws of the country. ToI, India Today