Northeast to face unrest if Centre passes CAB in Rajya Sabha: NESO

AASU to stage protest against PM’s visit

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura, the North East Students’ Organization (NESO) on Friday cautioned the premier that there will be unrest in the entire region if the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 is passed in the Rajya Sabha.

The NESO warned that if the controversial and contentious Bill becomes a law it will alienate the people of the Northeast, and the Centre will be solely responsible for such an eventuality.

A joint press release issued by NESO chairman, secretary general and adviser Samuel B Jyrwa, Sinam Prakash Singh and Dr Samujjal Bhattacharjya respectively on Friday evening stated that despite stiff opposition from various indigenous organizations, individuals and even some State Governments against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, the Centre forcibly passed the Bill in the Lok Sabha.

“This is another example of political injustice that shows that the Government of India has no regard for the indigenous people of the Northeast. This move is intentionally done to reduce the indigenous people of the Northeast to a minority on their own land,” the release said.

NESO secretary general Sinam Prakash Singh said the NESO would like to send a clear message to the Prime Minister and the Centre that the indigenous people of the region will not accept the Citizenship Bill under any circumstances. He asked the Centre to prevent itself from passing the Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

On the other hand, the All Assam Students’ Union and 30 other indigenous organizations on Friday staged a protest against the Bill by burning its copies across the State. These organizations will burn the effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday for the same cause.

AASU president Dipanko Kumar Nath said it is tragic that the Prime Minister, who promised the people of Assam in 2014 to drive out Bangladeshis from Assam, is now bringing a law to welcome Bangladeshis. He said the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 is not only a threat to indigenous people of Assam, but also to the secular credential of the Constitution of India. “If the Prime Minister is so concerned about the people of Assam’s identity, prestige and sentiment, he must scrap the Citizenship Bill,” Nath said.

The AASU has requested the Prime Minister not to discriminate Bangladeshis on the basis of religions by passing the Citizenship Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

Also read: The North East Students Organization (NESO) calls for an extension of NRC to other NE states