Clear stand on Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, parties told

Role of JPC

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, introduced in the Lok Sabha, was referred to a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) under the chairmanship of MP Satyapal Singh for presenting a report to the Parliament after careful examinations. It was decided that views and suggestions would be sought on the Bill by the JPC from individuals, associations/bodies and parties. The JPC visited Assam from May 7 to May 10, 2018 and gave an assurance that it would visit the State again, if needed. However, now the JPC is holding its next in Delhi on October 23, 2018, skipping the assured hearings in Assam.

46 local bodies warn Dispur & CRPFA on rally

GUWAHATI: Assam is literally echoing with protests and warnings against the November 17, 2018 convention called by the Citizens’ Rights Protection Forum, Assam (CRPFA) in support of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Guwahati. As many as 46 indigenous organizations of the State have raised their voices in unison against the move to hold the rally and set a deadline of November 1, 2018 for Dispur to ban it.

The 46 indigenous organizations held a joint meeting in Guwahati on Saturday and issued a warning to Dispur as well as the CRPFA on the proposed November 17 rally in Guwahati. The 46 organizations say the rally is being held in Guwahati at the patronage of Dispur. It is because of this the indigenous organizations have set a deadline of November 1, 2018 for Dispur to take a decision to ban the CRPFA rally in the city. The organizations have also warned Dispur and the CRPFA that they (local bodies) are ready to go up to all possible extents to get the November 1 rally and the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 cancelled. They have also made it clear that in the event of any untoward incident in the run-up to or during the November 17 rally in the State, Dispur will be held responsible for that.

Also Read: Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016: An acid test for BJP

The meeting adopted resolutions demanding cancellation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, demanding the JPC to conduct its hearings on the Bill in Assam again as assured earlier, and Dispur banning the November 17 rally called by the CRPFA in Guwahati. The meeting has also asked all political parties of Assam to make their respective stands on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 public before the winter session. The JPC, according to the 46 organizations, has gained some notoriety by planning to submit its report without conducting anymore hearings on the Bill in Assam. The JPC has adopted a plan to conduct hearing in New Delhi only. In protest against such a move, the 46 organizations have called Assam bandh on October 23, 2018.

The 46 indigenous organizations include the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba-Chatra Parishad, Dimasa Students’ Union, Sadou Asom Adivasi Chatra Sanstha, Sadou Asom Moran Chatra Sanstha, All Assam Minority Students’ Union and others.

Meanwhile, a team of the AGP led by its president Atul Bora left for New Delhi on Saturday to meet the JPC chairman and members separately and to appeal to them to cancel the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. The regional party says that the Bill is going to endanger the existence of the indigenous people of Assam and as such it is going to protest the Bill with all might.

The AGP is going to hold a massive protest in Guwahati on October 23, 2018 when the JPC is going to conduct a hearing on the Bill in New Delhi.