Letters to THE EDITOR

Citizenship (Amendment Bill) 2016

The Citizenship (Amendment) 2016 bill had been placed in Lok Sabha and passed by voice vote on January 10 by Prime Minister in Silchar on 4.1.2018. But the Bill had not been passed in Rajya Sabha

The people of almost whole of Assam except some portion of Barak valley is against this bill. There had been agitation organised by AASU and some other organisations for about 5 years from 1979 to 1984 against foreign influx to Assam particularly from Bangladesh, and many people approximately 855 lost their lives. Then there had been an agreement between the then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi ASSU and Gana Sanagram Parishad organisations, and Assam Accord was signed. According to it, the foreign migrants irrespective of religion particularly from Bangladesh would be deported with effect from 25 March 1971. Prime Minister declared that the Citizens (Amendment) Bill 2016 seeks ,to amend the Citizens Act,1955, to grant nationality to minority —— Hindus, Christians, Budhists, Jains from Bangladesh, Afganisthan, Pakistan up to 31 December, 2014 . As such, I would,therefore, like to request our dynamic Prime Minister not to pass this bill, otherwise there might be large scale agitation in Assam and many untoward incidents may occur. If at all, necessary, the bill may be passed with the inclusion of the clause “ Except” Assam and NE States, as Assam cannot take any further burden of influx of migrants.

Putul Sarma,

Biswanath Chariali.

Prospective PM candidate

As 2019 general polls are nearing the newly floated Mahagathbandhan is contemplating to declare their prospective Prime Ministerial candidate. Two to three names are doing rounds in the political circles. The frontrunner is TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu who was till recently with the NDA alliance and was very close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Now he has joined Mahagathbandhan to fulfil his selfish desire. Another name doing rounds is the combo of 'Bua Bhatija'. The ' Bua' is BSP chief Mayawati and 'Bhatija' is Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. It gives people like me goose-bumps to imagine such breed of leaders leading the nation. God forbid that a progressive country like India is cursed with such Prime Ministers. The duo of Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav has always done caste breed politics and has never thought of inclusive growth of the country.

Dr Ashim Chowdhury,

Ambari, Guwahati.