Northeast is not for burning

The Centre’s adamant stance on passing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill on the last day of the current session of Rajya Sabha on Wednesday has led to further intensification of protests across the Northeastern Region. The situation has been the most critical in Manipur where the BJP-led coalition has imposed curfew in Imphal West and Imphal East – the two districts that cover the capital city of the state, while mobile Internet services have been suspended till February 16. Simultaneously, the media has been debarred from broadcasting/airing news about the on-going agitation against the Bill. On Tuesday, police resorted to tear-gas shelling in several localities of Imphal, while Ima Keithel – the historic mothers’ market located in the heart of the city – has shut down for an indefinite period. Likewise, protests have been going on in other states too. In Mizoram, protestors staged a sit-in demonstration in the heart of Aizawl on Tuesday. Student bodies have also continued with their protests in Arunachal Pradesh, while normal life came to a grinding halt in Nagaland on Monday following a10-hour bandh called by Naga civil society organizations (CSOs) under the banner of Nagaland GBs Federation (NGBF).

Leaders of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and other groups spearheading the anti-CAB agitation have been camping in the national capital to garner support of MPs of different political parties including those belonging to the allies of the BJP intended at defeating the Bill when it is introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The BJP-led NDA does not have a majority in the Upper House. But then there have been apprehensions that the ruling party might cause some of the opposition members to remain absent on Wednesday with the intention of taking the arithmetic to such a stage where the Bill can sail through.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday informed the Parliament that the government has already explained to some Chief Ministers of the Northeast about the measures the Centre has taken in order to protect the interests of indigenous communities of the region. He particularly referred to the amendments providing more powers to the Autonomous Councils of the region, as also constitution of an expert committee to suggest steps to provide Constitutional and Administrative protection to the indigenous communities of Assam.

What however is a matter of grave concern is that the situation has refused to die down and the all the groups opposed to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill have refused to accept the assurances of the Centre. This in turn is leading the entire Northeastern region to a volatile situation, with every possibility of the law-and-order situation turning bad. It has also provided a handle to a section of youth to subscribe to fissiparous tendencies. In Mizoram, for instance, some groups began referring to looking towards China. Though such reactions can be dismissed as momentary reactions, one cannot rule out the possibility of separatist groups taking advantage of the situation and misguiding members of the young generation.

Moreover, the Northeastern region has just started coming out of a vicious cycle of violence, frustration and negativity and begun entering an era of development and positivity when the overall environment has suddenly begun sinking. The people of the Northeast cannot afford to go back to the days of uncertainty, bandhs, blockades, curfews and stagnation. The government must also keep in mind the interest of the student community – several lakh of them are sitting for the Class XII and Class X Board final examinations – who should not be pushed into losing even one single day, not to speak of a valuable year for any reason whatsoever. Leaders of the groups leading the agitations must also keep this in mind. Education, free movement of common people, movement of vehicles and railway trains, should not be affected under any circumstances.