GUWAHATI/DIBRUGARH: In a throwback to the days of the Assam Agitation, students of several leading educational institutions of Assam began an indefinite class boycott on Wednesday. Students of Cotton University, Dibrugarh University and various other colleges affiliated to the Gauhati University began their protest, demanding unconditional withdrawal of the bill.The stir brought back memories of students' protests during the anti-foreigners' movement led by the All Assam Students' Union (Aasu) almost four decades ago, when students boycotted classes and tried to stop examinations from being conducted.Dibrugarh University Post Graduate Students' Union (DUPGSU) president Mridul Gogoi and general secretary Rahul Chetry, in a joint statement, appealed to the students of all the colleges under Dibrugarh University to boycott classes from Wednesday as a mark of protest against the bill. There are 177 colleges and educational institutions affiliated to Dibrugarh University.Dibrugrah University students also said no supporters of the bill, including chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, will be allowed to set foot inside the varsity campus.A group of Cotton University students have also begun their indefinite hunger strike in protest against the bill that seeks to grant citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan Cotton University Students' Union (CUSU) general secretary Pranjal Kalita said, "We condemn in the strongest possible terms this move of the BJP-led government to grant citizenship to the illegal migrants on religious lines. In Assam, the Sonowal-led government came to power in 2016 with the promise of safeguarding the Jati-Mati-Bheti (community, home and hearth) of the state. But their acts show that they are out to destroy the very identity of the indigenous tribes and communities of Assam by granting citizenship to the illegal migrants here."He added that the CUSU have started talks with the student representatives of other colleges of the state to chalk out plans for a united movement against the bill. The proposed legislation has been facing opposition from various regional and ethnic organizations as well as political parties including the Congress and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).Students' unions of several leading GU-affiliated colleges, including the Pub Kamrup College, Dakshin Kamrup College, Saraighat College and Madhya Kampeeth College, have also joined in the indefinite class boycott movement from Wednesday to protest against the bill.The GU post-graduate students' union (PGSU) also announced that they would boycott all governments programmes, involving members of the ruling BJP, in their university. PGSU said a state-wide movement to sensitize people against the bill was the need of the hour.Meanwhile, the activists of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) took out a mock funeral procession of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and seven BJP MPs from Assam, accusing them of backing the citizenship bill and going against the will of the people.

Stay updated with all the Latest Guwahati headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.