Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha moves SC to review citizenship cut-off date for Assam

A CORRESPONDENT

NAZIRA: The Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha (ASM), an umbrella organization representing 104 indigenous communities of Assam, has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court of India on October 7,2025. This petition seeks a review of the October 17, 2024 verdict, issued by a five-judge bench of the apex court, which upheld March 25, 1971, as the base year for granting Indian citizenship in Assam.

The ASM strongly opposes this ruling, deeming it anti-constitutional, partisan, and reflective of a colonial outlook. ASM’s Security Council President, Matiur Rahman, argued that using March 25, 1971, as the cut-off year for Assam, while 1951 applies to the rest of India, was unacceptable and unconstitutional.

Rahman emphasized that the review petition aimed to prevent Assam from facing a situation similar to Tripura or Palestine, where indigenous populations lost their rights due to an influx of foreigners. He criticized the Supreme Court’s five-member bench for not considering Assam’s history, the British annexation, and the subsequent acceptance of foreigners by Assam.

The ASM leader stressed that the organization was not against any religious or linguistic community but guided by the ideals of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and Bishnu Rabha.

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