Students' body demands special hearing by JPC

A Correspondent

Dibrugarh, May 9: The members of the All Dibrugarh District Students’ Union had called for a torch rally on Wednesday, which did not start till the filing of this story, as a mark of protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

The rally also sought to raise the issue that although the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) reserved just one day of hearing in the Brahmaputra Valley, it spent two days for the same purpose in Barak Valley. A release issued by the organization prior to the rally stated that such a differential treatment occurred despite the fact that Brahmaputra Valley spanned across as many as 30 districts, whereas Barak Valley covered just three districts, namely, Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi.

In view of such injustice, the members of the organisation have demanded that a special hearing be conducted by JPC in Dibrugarh district. Furthermore, keeping in mind the interests of all the indigenous communities and organizations of the State, the JPC should conduct individual hearings in each district, the members also demanded through the release. They, at the same time, called for the revocation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.