ITSS singles out a fine line between citizenship, constitutiol safeguard

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Dec 28: Hailing Union Home Minister Rajth Singh recent statement made in the city on the sealing of intertiol border with Bangladesh, NRC update and constitutiol safeguards to the indigenous people of Assam, the Indigenous Tribal Sahitya Sabha (ITSS) has pointed out a fine line between according Indian citizenship to foreigners who entered Assam on or before March 24, 1971 and giving constitutiol safeguards to the indigenous people of Assam.

In a statement issued to the press today, ITSS chief convener Kamala Kanta Mushahary said: “We welcome the Union Home Minister’s assurance that the India-Bangladesh border will be sealed. Such a move will prevents the entry of people from entering the State from across the intertiol border. Such a move will enhance the security of the local populace in the State. We also hail the Union minister’s statement that the NRC would be updated. An updated NRC will plug all holes through which foreigners get into the voter list in the State. Such a move will also ensure the security of the indigenous people of the State.”

Besides hailing the statement of the Union Home minister on constitutiol safeguards to the indigenous people of Assam, Mushahary said: “In accordance with the Assam Accord, anyone entering Assam on or before March 24, 1971 will be given Indian citizenship. However, such people cannot be given any constitutiol safeguards in accordance with the Assam Accord since they aren’t indigenous people of Assam. We did raise this issue with Chief minister Sarbanda Sonowal.”

Mushahary said that a team of the ITSS had met the Union Home minister at his official residence in N ew Delhi in July 2015 and requested him to seal the intertiol border with Bangladesh so as to prevent infiltration into the State and to update the NRC.