Akhil Gogoi is free. Now he should fight for freedom for all Assamese, regardless of language, faith

The release of Assamese activist and MLA Akhil Gogoi with his colleagues on Thursday must be celebrated. Any design by the state to wrongfully punish its opponents must be resisted. One who is at the receiving end must get our support, irrespective of their ideology.

Gogoi’s release after being in jail since December 2019 under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act has been hailed by human rights groups and activists. Many had campaigned for his freedom on national and international platforms.

Now has the time come for all of them to keep a watch on the path Gogoi seeks to walk as a politician. They must ask him whether his freedom will mean freedom for everyone, at least in Assam, whether all the people of Assam have gained a friend, irrespective of which language they speak, which religion they belong to, which dance they dance.

One of the first statements Gogoi made after coming out of jail was that the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act would resume. In the same breath, he asserted that he would not allow any foreigner to settle in Assam.

This is not very reassuring for Bengali-speaking people living in Assam, especially Bengali-speaking Muslims. “Foreigner” is a loaded word with a sinister meaning for…

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