Muted Christmas celebrations in Assam amid fear over CAA

Christmas celebrations were a low-key affair in Assam amid ongoing protests against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act.

Despite the somber mood, midnight prayers for peace and happiness were organised across the state on Tuesday night.

Priests in various churches said that the situation and mood in the state did not enliven the spirit to celebrate the occasion with mirth and gaiety.

"The holy birth of our Lord Jesus Christ has to be celebrated. But this time we are celebrating the occasion with the mere decoration of a Christmas tree and the nativity scene only," Father Thomas of a local church here said, adding that no lights have been put up for decorating the church.

Residents of various places across the state, during midnight mass on Tuesday, prayed for peace and calm, said another priest in Dibrugarh.

People have been acting with restraint regarding decoration of churches, private homes, hotels and other public places and shops selling Christmas decoration and party items hardly did any business this year.

An owner of one such major shop, Manohar Lal, said, "The footfall of customers is minimal this time. Most of the goods I had ordered before CAA are lying with hardly anyone buying them".

Hemanta Gogoi who also sells such decorations in Jorhat said, "I don't mind that my goods are not selling as the general mood in the state is sad because of the CAA and five persons losing their lives when violence broke out during anti-CAA protests in Guwahati."
A college student, Carolina James, said, "My friends I will join the anti-CAA protests by artists and poets who will express their opposition to CAA at Latasil field here on Wednesday, through their art forms."