Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will give license to Bangladeshis to immigrate: ABSU

Our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR, June 2: The president of the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) Promod Boro on Saturday asserted that Centre’s move to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, would mean giving license to the Bangladeshis to immigrate to Assam and the north-eastern States that already have faced the burden of massive influx from Bangladesh.

Talking to reporters at Kokrajhar, Boro said there were pending issues of land protection, political rights of indigenous people and at this juncture, the government was creating artificial problems by bringing the citizenship (amendment) bill. He said the indigenous people of Assam had been seeking equal rights for their identity and protection of language and culture. He also said the marginalized ethnic communities would face a threat if the bill was passed.

“We cannot think of citizenship rights to Bangladeshis at this moment. If this Bill is passed, the influx will be more dangerous as it is like giving license to the immigrants from outside,” he said, adding that the Bill would have direct impact of illegal influx. He said the Bill was nothing but a threat to the marginalized ethnic groups of Assam and the Northeast. He also said the government was not clear on its stand.

Boro said the government must clear its stand on the issue of citizenship (amendment) bill. The government should look into the matter of protection of ethnic indigenous people and their identity. He said the government should ensure the constitutional rights of all marginalized communities of Assam and the Northeast. He also urged the government to rethink and withdraw the proposal of bringing the citizenship (amendment) bill and work for the protection of all indigenous people with constitutional guarantee of equal rights and justice.