We'll never accept CAB (Citizenship Amendment Bill): AASU & NESO

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: With just three days left for the winter session of Parliament to commence in New Delhi, the debate over the contentious CAB (Citizenship Amendment Bill) has gained momentum. Even as the NDA-led BJP government is adamant on bringing in the CAB in the Parliament, the premier students organizations of the region have taken up cudgels against the move. The apex bodies of students of Assam and the Northeast — the AASU (All Assam Students Union) and the NESO (North East Students Organization) respectively — have warned the Central government against "forcefully imposing" the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill in the region. The NESO has also called for protest rallies against CAB at the NE State capitals on November 18.

Sharply reacting to the comments in favour of CAB by Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam Minister and also convener of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), here on Friday, leaders of AASU and NESO said that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre must think twice before bringing in the CAB in the forthcoming winter session of the Parliament slated from November 18.

AASU president Dipanko Kumar Nath told the media here on Friday, "We've not accepted CAB; and will not accept it now!"

AASU general secretary Lurin Jyoti Gogoi pointed out, "The CAB is in favour of the illegal migrants. This is the reason why the organizations of the indigenous ethnic communities have been agitating against it. This opposition to CAB will continue."

Dwelling on the threat posed by CAB, the student leaders said, "If CAB is passed in the Parliament, the very essence of the Assam Accord will get diluted, and the sacrifices of more than 855 martyrs of the anti-foreigners agitation will get negated. We will never allow this to happen!"

Meanwhile, NESO advisor Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharyya along with the organization's secretary general Sinam Prakash and its chairman Samuel Jyrwa in a joint statement said, "The CAB is unconstitutional. It will threaten the languages and cultures of the indigenous people of Northeast. If the Central government forcefully imposes Citizenship Amendment Bill in NE, it will psychologically segregate the people of the north-eastern States from the Indian mainstream.

The NESO leaders posed, "Why do the leaders in Delhi deem the eastern border of India to be only till West Bengal? Why do they forget that Northeast India is also an integral part of India?"

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