By: Rana Pratap Saikia

Gunajit Sarma, a noted poet from Barpeta district of Assam, has won many hearts for his own personal 'Satyagraha' against the contentious amendment of the Citizenship Act. Treading on the path of righteousness, this Gandhian has walked from Barpeta to the State capital Dispur to meet the CM and demand the scrapping of the CAA. Although he did not get to meet the Chief Minister, Sarma remains buoyant.

"They did not allow me to enter the Chief Minister's residence. The CM thinks he has been chosen after passing an examination, such is his arrogance. I have come here with the spirit of 'ahimsa', what danger do I pose?", lamented Sarma, while talking to Inside Northeast.

Despite being thwarted at the power corridors of Dispur, the Gandhian has no intention of slowing down, and intends to take his Satyagragha to the national capital New Delhi. "I will now go to Delhi to meet the President himself. This society needs Gandhi now more than ever...dark times have befallen us..", he told us.

"He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight.” -- Quote from 'The Dark Knight'

Disclosing why he zeroed in on 'Bapu' as his inspiration, Sarma says, "The society needs the teachings of Gandhi in these times of turmoil. The protests have been been largely peaceful, but a 3rd party has entered the mix and created disruptions. I thought I should tell these elements -- we can do everything, we can even go to Delhi because we the sons and daughter of Lachit. The Assamese should not be underestimated."

The noted poet also believes that Assam CM Sonowal and Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma need Gandhi in their lives if they are to redeem themselves in the eyes of the people. "They have strayed far from the path of good, they have become puppets of an anti-Gandhi party, the BJP. They forever live in fear -- they toe the line set down by Amit Shah and his cohorts", Sarma laments.

ALSO READ: Assam Gandhian Walks from Barpeta to Dispur to Oppose ‘CAA’

Opining that the struggle against the Citizenship Amendment Act is a sign of good times to come, the Gandhian says: "The students are the future of the nation, and they are being aided in this struggle by the intellectuals...that is heartening to see. We will continue this struggle.

Sarma, accusing the BJP of operating by making false promises and misleading the people, affirmed that the people would continue to oppose the CAA through the means of poetry, art, culture, and literature.

Thus, with steely resolve and determination, this Gandhian walks the streets leaving the teachings of the 'father of the nation' in his wake. He walks a lonely road, and he is not a bird, nor a plane, but his contribution to the voices that have risen against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act cannot be denied.

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