At the epicentre of deadly
protests in Assam, a red and white cloth has come to symbolise the struggle of the Indian state's indigenous "sons of the soil" against a new citizenship law that they see as a dangerous threat to their unique culture.
"This is like a flag for us," said Jatin Borah, 22, one of thousands taking to the streets in days of riots and running battles with
police firing blanks and live ammunition that have left five people dead.
India's northeast region sandwiched between Bangladesh,
China and
Myanmar has long seethed with inter-ethnic tensions, with armed tribal groups still resisting being part of India.