Centre may consider exemption for ILP, Sixth Schedule areas
From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI: Several MPs from the North East, mostly from Congress, have expressed “strong reservation” against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and staged a noisy demonstration in Parliament on Friday.
The Centre on Friday began a series of meetings with stakeholders from the North East on the bill.
In a signed letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the MPs said that the highly controversial bill will severely affect predominant indigenous and tribal population of the region. This will have profound socio-economic impact on the sensitive region, it said.
Incidentally, following the bitter experience in the past and revival of the wave of protest from the region, the Ministry of Home Affairs is contemplating to exempt the Sixth Schedule areas of the North East from the ambit of the bill, sources said.
While Chief Minister Conrad Sangma is already in the capital for the meeting scheduled for Saturday, Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma has also arrived here.
Congress MPs from Meghalaya — Vincent H Pala and Wansuk Syiem — led the protest in Parliament.
The Home ministry has invited leaders of socio-cultural bodies, students’ organisations besides political parties for discussions on the plans to amend the Citizenship Act.
The bill intends to grant Indian nationality to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan and also advance the cutoff date of emigration for them.
Those who have been invited for discussions on Friday and Saturday include North East Students’ Organisation, All Bodo Students’ Union and student bodies from Meghalaya, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. Leaders of several political parties — both regional and state chiefs of national political parties — and heads of socio-cultural organisations have also been invited for the discussions, an official said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to be present in the meetings, another official said. A large section of people and organisations in the North East have opposed the bill, saying it will nullify the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985, which fixed March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date for deportation of all illegal immigrants irrespective of religion.
Congress, Trinamool Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and a few other political parties including the regional parties have been steadfastly opposing the bill, claiming that citizenship can’t be given on the basis of religion. The Modi government has listed the bill in its items of business for the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament and is set to push for its passage.
The MPs shouting slogans held placards in protest against the bill. They also shouted slogans against the Centre.
Official sources said Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram, where Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime is applicable, are likely to be kept out of the purview of the bill.
“There is all likelihood that three states — Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram — where ILP regime is prevalent will be kept out of the purview of the CAB. Discussions are ongoing whether the Sixth Schedule areas in the North East could also be kept out of the purview of the CAB,” said a senior government official engaged in the consultations process. (With agency inputs)