CM urged to take initiative to scrap Citizenship Act

Citizens' meet held, demand raised to implement clauses of Assam Accord in letter and spirit

From our Staff Correspondent

Dibrugarh, Nov 3: A citizens’ meet was organized here on Thursday on the issue of granting of Indian citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshis by the Central Government by amendment of the Citizenship Act. The meeting was attended by 80-90 intellectuals and 11 youth organizations of the district, including some people of the Bengali community who elaborately discussed the issue and express their resentment over the Central Government’s initiative to grant the citizenship rights.

 After the discussion, several resolutions were taken up which included the annulment of Citizenship Act by which the government has decided to grant citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshis by December 31, 2016.  The meeting stated that if the government failed to oblige to their demands, then they would publish a book mentioning all the aspects of the Act which if amended would hinder the indigenous rights of the people of the State and the corresponding role of BJP party in this regard.  The book would be distributed in the five States where assembly elections are to be held in a few months time, the resolution added.

The meeting, keeping confidence on Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal (Jatiyo yak), urged him to take initiative to scrap the Citizenship Act. They even demanded the completion of the tiol Register of Citizens (NRC) work at an early date, and that the Indo-Bangla border should be sealed at the earliest.  Moreover, all the clauses of Assam Accord should be implemented in letter and spirit. A new 51-member non-political body christened as garik Oikyo Mancha was formed in the aforesaid meeting with Parag Jyoti Baruah and Poran Bokul Baruah as president and secretary respectively.

Earlier, speaking on the occasion, Shyamal Das, a member of the Bengali community, stated the decision of the BJP government to grant citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshis would adversely affect the rights of existing Bengali community people.