Boycott call casts shadow during Republic Day in Nagaland

Kohima: The Republic Day was celebrated in Nagaland on Saturday amid a statewide boycott called by the influential Naga Students' Federation in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

The celebrations, however, were peaceful but there was a low turnout of public in almost all the parade grounds across the State’s district headquarters.

In the State capital, Governor Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya unfurled the Tricolour and took the ceremonial salute at the Secretariat Plaza in the presence of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and officials from the State and Central Government, including from the Army and Central paramilitary forces.

Voicing concern over the Citizenship Amendment Bill which was passed by the Lok Sabha, Acharya, however said the Bill is not applicable to Nagaland and that “we stand protected under the provisions of Article 371 (A) of Constitution of India and the Inner Line Permit mechanism as per Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873 which was reaffirmed as Clause 16 of the 16 Point Agreement”.

Nonetheless, the Nagaland government appealed to the Central government to have wider consultations with all northeastern states to ensure that the rights of the indigenous people are fully protected.

“We have also decided to refer the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 to the Standing Committee on Article 371 (A) under the Nagaland Legislative Assembly to examine the issues in its entirety,” Acharya said. (IANS)

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