GUWAHATI: The banned United Liberation Front of Assam (Independent) on Tuesday joined chorus against the Citiznship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, as proposed by the BJP-led NDA government and warned `certain reactionary forces’ that are out to derail the spontaneous protests by indigenous groups in the state against the Bill.
It is being generally apprehended by indigenous groups in Assam that BJP-led NDA government’s bid to amend the Foreigners Act in order to grant citizenship to Hindu Bengali migrants who fled to India to escape persecution in their homeland Bangladesh, would prove detrimental to the rights/identity of indigenous communities.
The ULFA (I) warned of dire consequence to `certain reactionary forces’ who are allegedly conspiring to derail the protests that is gradually gaining momentum against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
The ULFA (I) stated that similar forces in the past had caused harm to indigenous communities when that had raised voices demanding protection of their rights.
“The time has now changed and such reactionary forces will not be tolerated this time,” the ULFA (I) warned.
Meanwhile, Assam state committee of CPI (M) on Wednesday lambasted the BJP for accusing the Left parties of instigating the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Assam.
The CPI(M) state committee has termed the BJP’s allegation ridiculous and shallow as the protests against the Bill , if passed, which would negate the Assam Accord signed in 1985, is gaining ground in the state spontaneously much to the discomfort of the ruling BJP.
The CPI (M) stated that given in ground realities in Assam where all political parties had agreed to detect and deport illegal Bangladeshi migrants irrespective of their religion who had sneaked in to Assam after March 25, 1971 and have been staying illegally since then.
The Left party demanded that the state of Assam where the identity of indigenous communities is at stake due to unabated illegal migration from people of Bangladesh, should be kept out of the purview of the Citizenship (amendment) Bill, 2016.
The Left Democratic Mancha, Assam — a joint platform of eleven political parties, namely the CPI (M), CPI, CPI (M-L), AAP, Asom Sangrami Mancha, LDP, NCP, Samajbadi Party, RCPI, AIFB and Janata Dal (S) — will organise a sit-in demonstration on Wednesday in the city in protest against proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
