STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The North East Students’ Organization (NESO) has called an eleven-hour NE bandh on December 10 in protest against the Centre’s move to introduce and pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) in the Parliament.
Barring Nagaland, the bandh will continue from 5 am to 4 pm on Tuesday in the region. In view of the ongoing Hornbill festival in Nagaland the State has been exempted from the purview of the bandh. The Naga Students’ Federation will stage protest in front of Raj Bhawan against the CAB in Kohima on the bandh day.
The NESO comprises the All Assam Students’ Union, Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Garo Students’ Union (GSU), All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU), Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU), Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) and the Tripura Students’ Federation (TSF).
NESO advisor Dr Samujjal Bhattacharjya told The Sentinel on Friday evening that even though the students’ organization does not support the bandh culture, the Centre has forced the NESO to give the bandh call on December 10 to forcibly assert opposition and anger of the indigenous people of the region against the CAB.
“The CAB is a protector of illegal Bangladeshis, unconstitutional and anti-Assam Accord. The NESO is unanimous in its opposition against the CAB. We are calling the December 10 protest as a spontaneous bandh call and hope to see the people of the region to spontaneously support the stir,” Dr Bhattacharjya, who is also the chief advisor of AASU, said.
The NESO, which held its executive meeting at a city hotel on Friday, warned the Centre not to play divisive politics to impose the CAB. “The Centre has exempted the NE States having Inner Line Permit (ILP) system and Sixth Schedule areas from the purview of the CAB. If the CAB is bad for the States having ILP system and Sixth Schedule areas, how could it be good for rest of the region. We will not tolerate such divisive politics. The NESO is clear that the CAB will not be accepted in any part of NE,” Dr Bhattacharjya said while hinting vigorous agitation in the coming days.