Life back on track as Assam remains peaceful

Guwahati, Dec 20: Normal life is back on track in Assam with the state remaining peaceful after several days of violent protests against the new citizenship law.

The curfew imposed in Dibrugarh has been relaxed for 14 hours since 6 am on Thursday but mobile internet services remained suspended, officials said.

The curfew imposed in Guwahati on December 11 was lifted on Tuesday following improvement in law and order, they said.

Businesses and banks in Guwahati were open and vehicles plied the roads but schools and colleges were closed.

Flight operations and railway services have resumed in Guwahati while flights to and from Dibrugarh airport were also operating as per schedule, the officials said.

The All Assam Students' Union (AASU), which is spearheading the agitation against the amended Citizenship Act, has planned sit-ins on December 21 and 23 and rallies on December 24, 26 and 28.

Islamic outfit Popular Front of India's Assam unit chief Aminul Haque and another office bearer were arrested on Wednesday for their alleged role in the violence during protests over the citizenship law, police said.

Also, the Assam Human Rights Commission has directed the chief secretary to constitute a high-level panel for probing deaths of five protesters in police action during protests over the amended Citizenship Act here last week.

Meanwhile, the 12-day Guwahati Book Fair, organised by the state government's Assam Publication Board, has been postponed indefinitely due to "unforeseen circumstances", Board Secretary Pramod Kalita said.

Assam witnessed violent protests against the Act with three rail stations, a post office, a bank, a bus terminus, shops, dozens of vehicles and many other public properties being set ablaze or damaged by the protesters.