Assam has been the epicenter of the nationwide protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, as well as the National Register of Citizens.
The traditional red-and-white Gamosa (or Gamocha), usually woven in cotton or silk, has been an intrinsic part of these protests. People can be seen tying it to their heads or draping it around their shoulders or using it as banners to write slogans.
Tezpur, a town on the banks of the river Brahmaputra near the Assam-Arunachal border, has made use of the Gamosa in a silent and spontaneous civil disobedience. The commercial town’s MLA is from the Asom Gana Parishad, which voted in favour of the amended Citizenship Act in Parliament.
Instead of overt protests, violence, or social media optics, the business community in Tezpur has put up Gamosas with anti-CAA messaging on shops.
Protests against the CAA and NRC have continued pan-India for months with internet, voice and messaging services being intermittently suspended. The police has initiated crackdowns in which thousands have been arrested or detained (including minors).
The death count in the state of Assam is now four.
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