Property worth crores of rupees were destroyed by protestors across Assam – either gutted or broken - during the protests which submerged the state post the clearance of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The protests were no doubt for a cause carried out by students and other Assamese people but according to the modus operandi of the protests it looks like there were other parties involved whose intention was to create a law and order mess.
“We were protesting peacefully at Ganeshguri on 11th December, but suddenly we saw some unknown people starting to break the dividers and pelting stones on the security personnel,” said a student of Handique Girls’ College, Urmila Das.
Similarly, there are similar stories from across the city and also the state. On 11th December, at around 2.30 pm, a group of people suddenly went to Fancy Bazar and started breaking the street vending shops and threatened the other business establishments. “No one was looking like a student and all of them were mostly drunk,” said a street vendor Kamen Das who has been vending at Fancy Bazar since the last 20 years.
Newly appointed ADGP (Law & Order) GP Singh, talking to media, said that many incidents are recorded on camera and after the situation eases, the violent protestors will be identified and action will be taken according to the law.
The Assam chief minister, in his address to public which he gave to select media houses, said that the protest is propaganda by some sections and the violent protest is a political propaganda.
“There are people in the protests sent by political parties to create a law and order situation so that the government is slammed,” said a BJP state executive member. He said that there are many opponents of BJP, and this is the chance they are taking to topple the government which is impossible.
A social activist and senior journalist, Manjit Mahanta, talking to G Plus said, “Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP is doing this (creating law and order situation) so that the authorities get a chance to impose curfew, disconnect internet, bring in more army to suppress the Assamese people,” adding that Assamese people can never carry out violent protests. He said that it is the strategy of the BJP government to suppress the Assamese sentiments.
The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) has asked the Assamese people not to resort to any kind of violence which will help the government to suppress the voice of the Assamese people.
In Hatigaon the situation was grim as a minor had lost his life after police fired to control the mob, but the local residents of Hatigaon said that the people who carried out violent protests there were not from Hatigaon and were not even students.
Police sources also felt that the violent protestors were not students and an investigation will be done after the situation eases. “Students will not attack vehicles of ADGP or DGP level police officers,” said a senior police official of Guwahati East Commissionerate.
The convoys of ADGP Harmeet Singh and DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta were attacked by the protestors.
