CPM stages protest rally in Silchar over burning issues

Special Correspondent

Silchar: After lying low for a long time and emboldened by the recently held packed to the capacity Brigade parade ground rally at Kolkata, CPM unit of Cachar district on Tuesday made its presence felt when the leaders along with workers and activists staged protest rally near Khudiram Bose statue to record its dissension over issues which continue to plague the political and civil life of Assam and the northeast with its cascading impact in the capital of the country. Significantly, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 at the centre stage of controversy has come in for haranguing by leaders of the party who questioned the logic and rational of BJP to push it through the Parliament.

Dulal Mitra, a frontline leader, lambasting BJP and its allies for rallying round the Bill said the saffron party is hell-bent to pass the Bill notwithstanding the wide-ranging protest. He saw behind such a move to garner votes of the persecuted minorities from the neighbouring countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, taking shelter in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s massive rally at Thakurbari in West Bengal is a pointer to it.

Supriyo Bhattacharjee, another comrade in the rank, also fired at NDA for pursuing a Bill that smacks of ‘divisive and communal politics’ and argued for its scrapping. For leftists, if Hindus are refugees, Muslims are also refugees as if they are persecuted religiously in their own Islamic countries. In fact, just for the sake of vote-bank, the Bill now sand-witched between the politics of ruling and opposition has come to be much maligned and less understood.

Bhattacharjee at the same time strongly demanded implementation of the Constitutional provision which mandates granting of citizenship to those who after migrating from other countries and stay of 12 years at a stretch become eligible for it. This, he clarified, is citizenship by naturalization to all irrespective of communities. There is no need for Citizenship Bill and all the heat and dust being raised over it. If such a plea is accepted, there will be a beeline for infiltrators and intruders.

Chunilal Bhattacharjee, yet another seasoned leader, came out with simple formula to say all Indians should be included in NRC as if the update process is to continue. This has to be welcomed by all political parties who are concerned about the unity and integrity of the country, Chunilal pointed out. To the cheers of a motely crowd of workers and supporters, he at the same time strongly called for abolishing ‘D’ voter process, a most torturing thing to happen in the democratic India.

Referring to the severe indictment by Harsha Mandher, a well known human rights activist, on the Centre and the state for inhuman treatment with detainees in detention camps, leaders in identical tone wanted fair trial of the detainees. They should not be denied natural justice. Foreigners’ Tribunals often fault in deciding the cases of those branded ‘D’ voters. This should end as it violates all canons of humanism and a negation of democratic values, they added to say From all reckoning, CPM is making desperate bid to come back and find space in view of the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

Also Read: CPI (M) Demands Scrapping of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Stages Mass Protest