The Citizenship Amendment Bill can set the northeast in flames, here’s why!

Guwahati: The Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016, ever since it came into the forefront, led to evoking the common masses of Assam towards showing strong opposition to the Bill. The situation got even worse when the Bill got tabled in Lok Sabha and was passed by the Lok Sabha speaker through voice votes on Tuesday. However, the Bill has not been introduced in Rajya Sabha for the time being, but that has not been able to calm down the enraged masses of Assam and its neighbouring states.

Before moving on further with the news of furious mobs, student bodies, local organizations and even the oppositions against the Bill; it has been the need of the hour to reflect more on the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 and know more about it. The government at the centre and the state are of the opinion that the Bill has nothing wrong to do to the people of Assam then why so many people at huge number are making a fuss about this Bill! Hence, before moving ahead, this is a must for one to understand the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016.

The proposed amendment bill claims to give eligibility to Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains, Buddhists and Christians who have migrated to Assam from the three neighbouring nations, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Such people will now be regarded as eligible to apply for Indian citizenship. This very factor has enraged the people of Assam as to how can some illegal immigrants come to Assam and claim for citizenship right.

The Bill, ever since its inception, has faced severe criticism from all around the north-east zone. The opposition parties have hugely criticized the Modi government for bringing the Bill into action. It has been stated by the opposition political parties that the proposal to extend citizenship to some particular immigrants on the basis of religion is a serious threat to India’s secular philosophy.

This has been repeated several times by the Modi government that this Bill is not only for the North-east but for the entire nation, but what is ironical here is that people in the northeast are at the risk of being affected more.

The situation got worse when the entire region decided to and practiced a shut down on January 8 following PM Modi’s announcement in a rally on January 4 in Silchar that the Bill will get passed in Lok Sabha.

Also read: Zubeen Garg threatens to launch an agitation against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill