Letters to THE EDITOR: Citizenship Bill's Impact

Citizenship Bill's Impact

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 may have a serious impact on the social, economic and political scenario of Assam. It is also questionable how a government can give citizenship to a person on the basis of religion in a secular democratic country. Further, how can a government deny the sentiment of a vast majority of original people and their culture only from the religion point of view?

Let us also ponder over the consequences of the status of Assamese and aborigine people after 50 years in Assam. Moreover, Assam has already taken the burden of Bangladeshi people coming before 1971 as per the Assam Accord signed by the Central government, Assam government, AASU and All Assam Sangram Parishad. As such, I would like to request the government not to make Assam shoulder any further burden of Bangladeshis.

Putul Sarma,

Biswanath Chariali.

Why Not Sonowal?

I wonder if the Meghalaya government can take a decision against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 and if it has the will to protect the ethnic tribes of the State from the grip of illegal Bangladeshis, Hindu or Muslim, why it is so difficult for the 'patriotic son of soil' Sarbananda Sonowal, the Assam Chief Minister, to convene a meeting of his cabinet and make it see reason in opposing the Bill tooth and nail.

The only reason, in my view, for such attitude is the lack of courage to tell the central BJP leadership that Assam has already borne a huge burden of illegal Bangladeshis even after the signing of the Assam Accord and now it cannot and will not bear any such burden any more. Is it asking for the moon from Mr Sonowal?

Dipen Thakur,

Nagaon.

Apathy of BSNL

Since May 7, 2018, STD facility under BSNL Kalapahar (Guwahati) SDO stands disconnected. When complaint is lodged, we are asked to contact the BSNL local head office at Panbazar, Guwahati. When the Panbazar office of BSNL was contacted, they said that some new machinery/software had been installed, and these are controlled from Kolkata. They pleaded helplessness. Nobody in BSNL is able to help. When 198 is contacted, they say that we should call 1500. Customers are taken for a ride due to the apathy of BSNL.

An Aggrieved Citizen,

Guwahati.