Sam Stafford's family donates first Gamosa for Congress' proposed anti-CAA monument

GUWAHATI: The family of Sam Staford, a teenager killed in a firing incident during the anti-CAA agitation, today became the first to donate a gamosa with anti-CAA messages for the Congress' proposed monument to honour the memory of those killed during the violent agitation which rocked Assam.

 

The Congress, posting pictures of Stafford's family gifting the gamosa on its Twitter handle 'Assam Bachao', wrote the following words alongside: "Many bravehearts fought against CAA & lost their lives to guide our way- 17 year Sam Stafford was one of the youngest to have laid down his life. Our first anti-CAA Gamosa came from his family as our leaders paid tributes to Sam's sacrifice & valour.

 

The gamosa donated by the deceased youth's family bears the message: "We want justice for Sam Stafford's murder. We will never accept the CAA."

 

Sam Stafford, a 17-year-old student who died in police firing during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protests, has been hailed as a 'martyr' by those agitating against the controversial Act.

 

Sam, a budding musician, died on the night of December 12 after sustaining a "bullet injury" at the Namgarh area, a few kilometres away from his home at Hatigaon.

 

He was returning from Latasil playground, where singer Zubeen Garg had performed in solidarity with those agitating against the amended Citizenship Act.

 

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A post-mortem report later revealed that his body had been pierced in two places by the bullets.

10 days after his demise, a memorial service was held at a school in the Hatigaon area by the All Assam Students' Union (AASU).

 

The Congress' proposed monument for anti-CAA agitators:

 

The Congress' party recently told its cadre to visit every house of the state and collect gamosa with anti-CAA messages which will be displayed at ‘upcoming Martyrs’ Memorial’ in Guwahati.

 

“The Congress is building an anti-CAA memorial in Guwahati and I would request every Assamese to share Gamosas with your message with us. You may sign the Gamosa and send it to us through courier or hand it over to any party worker when he visits you,” said Congress Manifesto Committee Chairman Gaurav Gogoi while addressing a meeting in Bihpuria town.

 

The party on Thursday invited applications from Assamese architects to plan and design the upcoming Martyrs’ memorial that the Party has vowed to construct after it comes to power in April-May this year.

 

“We respect public sentiments and hence the announcement for a grand memorial was made. Taking a step further we are inviting applications from the Architects in Assam to share their suggestions and designs for the memorial with us,” said Ripun Bora, President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee.