Tear Gas Didn't Make Us Cry

THE BRUTAL TRUTH

After the bill was cleared on 4 December 2019, violent protests erupted in Assam, especially in Guwahati, and other areas in the state. The protesters were angry that the new law would allow thousands of Bengali-speaking non-Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh, to become legal citizens of India, thereby influencing the political and cultural environment of the state. Access to  Internet was restricted. A curfew was also declared in Assam and Tripura due to the protests, leading the army to be deployed as protestors defied those curfews. Railway services were suspended and some airlines started to waive rescheduling or cancellation fees in those areas. There were reports of casualties as well.
The aggression shown by the people of Assam was valid as fellow Assamese Muslims were put into detention camps and were left there to languish in inhuman conditions. Their anger was justified. What started in Assam in the form of violence and aggression had now fueled the students of JMI with the passion to stand against CAB and NRC. My friends and I were seated in the canteen when we were told that a protest has been initiated. I had trouble believing it at first but when I saw the energy and proactivity amongst other students I too was fueled with emotions of secularity, unity and most importantly the will to stand for my rights.
It was a Friday; I was done with noon prayers so I quickly rushed to the campus where I was greeted by my fellow batch mates. So many familiar and unfamiliar faces were to be seen. The whole moment was mesmerizing as we began our march peacefully towards the parliament. Our intentions were clear, we were going to turn this situation around and show the government how strongly we oppose its decision but yet while remaining within our civil limits. We raised slogans as we marched, and each word that we chanted in an undecided sync hit straight the depths of my heart. I looked around and saw how everyone chose to put the differences aside and come together for what was necessary. The most beautiful part was seeing students of different race and religion out there with us supporting our cause. It was breathtakingly emotional.
The moment was however broken as we came to a sudden halt. I couldn't make out much of what was happening but our chanting continued. I was perhaps again lost in a moment that wasn't meant to last. All of a sudden the sound of our chanting was suppressed by increasing waves of screaming starting from the front row of protestors. Before I could make any sense of the scenario, the group of students ahead of me turned into a crowd of human commotion. Following the momentum of the people ahead of us, I too started pushing my way aback but the entire ruckus still made it unclear of what happened. My friends and I ran to the sides and that's when we saw the situation for what it was. The police had intervened and had now resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. I managed to dodge a few hits that came my way but not much could be done once I tripped over a fellow protestor’s foot. I fell on my face first and felt the bruises it caused on my forehead and palms. I was nearly back on my feet when a powerful strike plowed me down again. Once I was on the floor again I remember rolling on the pavement to avoid further hits. All of this was happening too fast to comprehend. I finally got to my feet and made a run for it. Unaware of my surroundings, I ended up moving closer to the police rather than away from tem. I had already prepared myself for the impact of the lathi that was being swung my way by turning away and putting my hands above my face. But to my surprise it didn't hit me. I opened my eyes to see the policeman shaking his head in pain and shock. For a moment I couldn't make out what happened and then I noticed that the students had started pelting stones to protect themselves.
All this had turned into everything we didn't want. There were still many students scattered around running from the police while there were some on the floor in brutal pain while across the street were some students who took matters in their own hands and were protecting themselves by attacking the police. Despite it all our slogans still made through the sounds of their brutality. Just then a loud thud took everyone by surprise. Just a few meters from my current position had landed a tear gas shell. In a matter of seconds screams intensified. The police continued their brutality from behind their masks while we struggled to regain sight of what was around us. Before the smoke from one shell settled another made its way into our eyes. It took a lot of violent head swings and eye rubbing to come back to my senses. We weren't too far away from the campus so our best bet was to return back to where we started. My heart was pounding faster than it ever did. The sight I just witnessed severely outweighed the injuries I had suffered. I made it back into the campus premises and like many others, returned home. It had gone dark, I had lost track of time in the midst of the days run.