Internet Blackout Extended To Meghalaya As North East Continues To Boil Over Citizenship Act

The indefinite curfew, which was in force in Dibrugarh municipal area, was relaxed for 5 hours today even as a large number of people gathered in the Chandmari area of Guwahati to observe a fast called by the All Assam Students Union (AASU) to protest against the Citizenship Act. The curfew was relaxed from 8 am.

The Army and the security forces were conducting flag marches in Guwahati town which was the epicentre of the protests, besides Dibrugarh and Tezpur. A large number of people, including artists, singers, and filmstars are observing a 10-hour fast called by the influential students' organisation against the Citizenship Act from 6 am.

AASU chief advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya said that the protests will continue. "We will not succumb to any pressure and our agitation will continue," he said.

On Thursday two persons were killed in police firing and thousands descended on streets defying curfew as Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed his government was committed to safeguarding their rights.

Several towns and cities were placed under indefinite curfew, including Guwahati, the epicentre of protests, besides Dibrugarh, Tezpur, and Dhekiajuli. Night curfew was imposed in Jorhat, Golaghat, Tinsukia and Charaideo districts, officials said. Internet services in 10 districts were suspended for another 48 hours beginning 12 pm on Thursday to prevent "misuse" of social media to disturb peace and tranquillity, and to maintain law and order.

In neighbouring Tripura too there were large scale protests organized by Joint Movement Against CAB (JMAC) - a platform of regional tribal parties and civil society organizations even as the state government extended the blockade on internet and SMS services. According to the police, the situation has not improved much in rural areas and hence, the government extended the blockade on the internet and SMS service till Friday.

An indefinite curfew was clamped in the Meghalaya capital of Shillong from 10 pm on Thursday even as mobile internet and messaging were blocked for 48 hours after anti-CAB protesters ransacked shops and set ablaze vehicles at Police Bazar, the city¡¯s commercial district.

As the protests show no signs of slowing down, several parts of the northeast have been cut off from the rest of India with road connectivity from and to the region coming to a standstill. The Northeast Frontier Railway has cancelled all short-distance passenger trains till Friday. However, long-distance trains to and from Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Silchar, and Agartala have been short terminated and will now originate from Guwahati and Kamakhya for Thursday and Friday.

The air connectivity has also been hit as Guwahati, the biggest airport in the northeast has cancelled several flights. Flights to Dibrugarh and Shillong airport have also been cancelled because of the ongoing unrest.

Indigenous people of the region, which shares a boundary with neighbouring Bangladesh has been up in arms against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act under which members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, and facing religious persecution will be given Indian citizenship. The indigenous people fear that granting citizenship those came to their states illegally form the neighbouring country will make them a minority in their homeland.