North East to witness civil disobedience if Citizenship Bill passed: NESO

North East to witness civil disobedience if Citizenship Bill passed: NESO

Our Correspondent

Itanagar: Opposing the Centre’s bid to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 in the Parliament; North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) on Sunday said that the North eastern states will witness a civil disobedience like situation if the bill is passed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting in Assam on Friday had made it clear that his government is going forward with the controversial Bill, which has been vehemently opposed in Assam and other NE states.

“Despite staging various dharnas even at New Delhi by students’bodies from northeast, the Centre is hell bent to pass the controversial bill undermining the sentiments of the indigenous people of the region,” NESO Coordinator Pritambai Sonam told reporters here at Press Club.

“When the indigenous people of North East are trying to safeguard their identity, the BJP-led NDA government is playing politics in religious line by introducing the Bill in the Parliament,” Sonam said adding, BJP is a threat for existence of the indigenous people of the region.

The NESO leader added that North East cannot take further burden of foreigners as several states of the regional have suffered.

“We will oppose all political parties who will try to impose such controversial bill in the region which is detrimental to the existence of our indigenous people. We had a recent meeting with the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) at Shillong and requested them to visit all the states of the region to access the ground realities. Ironically, the committee without conducting any study adopted the Bill,” Sonam said.

Sonam also questioned the stoic silence maintained by all the chief ministers of the region over the Bill saying that Meghalaya government led by National People’s Party (NPP), a coalition partner of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) has been opposing the Bill and already adopted a resolution in the Assembly opposing it.

The NESO has called for an 11-hour northeast bandh on January 8 next opposing the Bill.

All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) President Hawa Bagang while demanding for immediate scrapping off the bill said that the BJP government at the Centre is trying to divide the entire country through the controversial Bill.

“If the bill is passed, we will be left with no option but to take up arms to protect our indigenous population,” Bagang said adding, AAPSU being a component of NESO, will enforce the bandh in totality.

AAPSU General Secretary Tabom Dai stated that the Bill if passed would jeopardise the long fight of the union against Chakma and Hajong refugees in the state.

“The state government led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu should come out clear on the controversial Bill to protect the rights of the indigenous people of the state,” Dai added.

Top Headlines

No stories found.
Sentinel Assam
www.sentinelassam.com