Centre’s fresh push for citizenship bill opposed in northeast

NEW DELHI: Protests have broken out in the northeast against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), 2019, as the Centre is adamant on reintroducing the Bill in the upcoming session of Parliament, expected in December. Early reports of protests came from Manipur where students and women came together under the banner of Manipur People Against Citizenship Amendment Bill (MANPAC) and lined up along the town’s main roads holding posters opposing the Bill on 3 October. Similar public gatherings and protests voicing their opposition were also reported from Kohima and Shillong. In Assam, too, the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) has started its statewide protest against the Bill leading to the arrest of its leader, Akhil Gogoi. Bedanta Laskar, advisor of KMSS, told The Sunday Guardian: “There are around 20 lakh Hindu Bangladeshis in Assam and 1.7 crore Hindu Bangladeshis in Bangladesh. Thus, giving citizenship to them will pose a threat to indigenous culture, economy and demography of the region. So, there is no way this Bill can be accepted. The whole Northeast will unitedly protest against the Bill.” Lurinjyoti Gogoi, general secretary of the All Assam Students’ Union, the signatory organisation of the Assam Accord, said, “Our stand is clear—whether it is Hindu or Muslim, no Bangladeshi can be accepted. We have been opposing the Bill from the beginning. There will be a two-way strategy—protest on the ground and prevent the Bill in the Rajya Sabha with the help of the Opposition and regional alliance parties.” He also said that talks were on with political parties across the country to prevent the Bill in the Rajya Sabha. Sources said that the Janata Dal United, along with some other alliance parties of the BJP at the Centre, would likely oppose the Bill in the Rajya Sabha. Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma have expressed their opposition to the CAB. The CAB, which seeks to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Jains, Hindus and Christians from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, who entered the country before 31 December 2014, was passed by the Lok Sabha in January this year. However, it lapsed as the NDA government at the Centre could not table it in the Rajya Sabha. BJP sources said that this time, the party may try to pass the Bill in the Rajya Sabha first and then the Lok Sabha.

“We already have the majority in the Lok Sabha, hence it is important to pass the Bill in the Rajya Sabha,” a source said.

Rupam Goswami, spokesperson of Assam BJP, said, “We are in favour of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. It is for the nation and not for a single state. Hindus can’t be foreigners in India. Those who are protesting against the Bill have no idea what it is. They are being used by politicians.”