Why is Assam on the Edge: The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016
About fifteen days ago I had come across some of my friends using a certain Facebook profile pic frame. It is a tool that has been, with some success, used to raise awareness about several issues over the past few years now. This particular frame, however, caught my attention more than any of the previous ones I had seen. It had a red background, a colour synonymous with many protest movements. As if to confirm the first impression, it had "Do Not Be Silent, Do Not Be Violent" written towards the right end with a message in Assamese that roughly translated to "Come Out (on the streets)". The clenched fist on which the Assamese words were marked is internationally recognised as a symbol of unity and resistance. The cause unambiguously and unmistakably read: "I oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016". The social media campaign gained some traction, with hundreds of Assamese youths, including me, keeping the frame for seven days. What appeared to ...