NE forum chalks out plan to address CAB concerns

“NPP volte-face insult to people of Meghalaya”  

GUWAHATI: North East Forum for Indigenous People (NEFIP) has said it was wary of the problem of illegal influx in the wake of the Citizenship Amendment Bill and chalked out an action plan to address all regional issues concerning CAB from Wednesday.

“We will address all regional issues concerning CAB starting tomorrow as we know the threat posed by illegal influx. In this regard, the forum is in touch with our representatives across the Northeast,” NEFIP media secretary, Khuraijam Athouba told The Shillong Times over phone from Imphal on Tuesday.

Praising the efforts of Manipur People Against Citizenship Amendment Bill (MANPAC), a component of NEFIP, in regard to making its demand for inner line permit (ILP) heard at the Centre, Athouba said that the people of Manipur have to an extent been happy with the fulfillment of a demand that goes back to 1990.

“The people of Manipur are happy as the state will come under ILP. But it has been a long pending demand and finally the Centre, albeit under pressure from the anti-CAB stir, thought it was the right time to hear the aspirations of the people,” Athouba said.

“Nevertheless, we also have to look into the entire regional aspects where CAB will be imposed and illegal immigrants turned into bona-fide citizens. Illegal immigrants cannot be allowed to settle and therefore entire Northeast needs to be sanitized,” he said.

In regard to Meghalaya, the NEFIP leader said that was unfortunate that the ruling NPP had taken a U-turn by extending support to CAB in the Lok Sabha, given that the party under Conrad K Sangma, had earlier taken a strong stand against CAB. “The last-minute change of stand by NPP is an act of betrayal and insult to the people of Meghalaya. The ruling party will lose the trust of the people this way,” he added.