Veterans knuckle down for nationwide campaign

Assam Agitation

GUWAHATI, June 2: The Asom Andolan Sangrami Mancha, a forum comprising Assam Agitation veterans and other organizations, will dash off letters to the President, Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, Chief Ministers of all States and all MPs on a single day to ventilate their strident opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

The Mancha will send the letters on June 8, the day when the historic Assam Movement started way back in 1979, from Meghdoot Bhawan in the city. The Mancha leaders will also go to Delhi and meet each and every member of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha before commencement of the monsoon session of Parliament to apprise them of the hidden dangers of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and urge them to oppose the proposed law. The Mancha will also meet various other organizations and individuals in Delhi to generate public opinion against the Bill.

Former Assam chief minister and chief advisor of the Mancha Prafulla Kumar Mahanta told reporters here on Saturday that passage of the Bill introduced by the Narendra Modi government will be a disaster for the identity and culture of the indigenous population of the State. He said it is not only unfortunate but also tragic that the BJP. which came to power by promising to send back illegal Bangladeshis to their country of origin, is now ready to give a red-carpet welcome to Hindu Bangladeshis.

“We have met many intellectuals in Bangladesh and they told us that they are not aware of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. They also told us that Hindus in Bangladesh are now safe since it has become secular. So where is the necessity of bringing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill?” Mahanta, a signatory of Assam Accord, said while laying emphasis on effective bilateral talks between India and Bangladesh to crack the illegal immigration tangle.