Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 not satisfactory

Guwahati: The All Manipur Muslim Organisations' Co-ordinating Committee (AMMOCC) in a press release stated that the entire Northeast region has been in great disturbance and confusion with the passing of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Lok Sabha. The committee thanked the collective outrage of the united northeast for bringing the said bill to a halt in the upper house but fortunately the Rajya Sabha has put the bill to reconsider. It has also been mentioned in the release that the bill has the potential of disturbing the whole social fabric of the entire indigenous communities of the Northeastern region. The Northeastern region has already faced the problems of migrators flowing into the state and that they have taken over the population of the indigenous communities bringing them to the brink of extinction. The bill seeks to replace the Citizenship Act of 1955 which is problematic on many grounds but the utmost important point is that it violates the Assam Accord 1985. This communal granting of citizenship as against the secular ethics as claimed by the Indian constitution is supposed to bring the whole demography of the northeastern into invasion.

The committee stated that they are not against the humanitarian act of giving accommodation to the refugees or the persecuted peoples of other countries irrespective of Caste, creed and religion but the current CAB 2016 is totally against the wish of the people of the country and based on the religion ground for vested political interest. AMMOCOC urges the concerned government to distribute the refugees proportionately. We have been much more generous than our capacity and in consideration of this the Central Government has to look for other regions than northeastern to accommodate them. We urge Centre to respect the Assam Accord 1985 and uphold the autonomy and rights of indigenous people of NER. AMMOCOC extend heartfelt solidarity to the people of the northeast in general and Manipur in Particular who are fighting against both the governments' move on passing the said citizenship bill which will harm the indigenous people of the entire northeastern region.

Also Read: Centre’s Decision on Assam Accord An Eyewash: AASU