SHILLONG: The chief minister has asked the general public to oppose the proposed amendment of citizenship act, which would provide citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshi minorities in India.
Speaking at the inaugural function of Mawpat C&RD block here on Tuesday, Mukul Sangma said that the proposed amendment would bring around 16 million people from Bangladesh to India and such move would definitely affect demographic structure of the North Eastern states including Meghalaya.
He also claimed that the amendment proposed to make illegal migrants, who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, eligible for citizenship.
“If this is allowed to be done then the demographic pattern of the whole Northeastern region will transform. The natives will lose their political say in their own land,” the chief minister added.
Commenting further on illegal immigration and influx, Sangma said that even countries like United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) could not control the problem of illegal immigration and hence, they are coming up with a new rule, which will be similar to what Meghalaya Government has enacted like Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security act.
Sangma while pointing out that the rules of the act are in final stages, he even stressed on the need for every locality to have a system for filtering people coming from outside.
The chief minister also informed that the State Government has amended the Benami Trans-actions (Prohibition) Act, 1988 to ensure that there is a strong deterrent and it prevents local people from conniving with non-tribals.
While laying importance on the need to implement the Meghalaya Land transfer regulation act in letter and spirit, he urged upon the local people not to become agents for benami transaction. He also said that the setting up of the entry and exit points by the State Government is to filter the people who are coming and leaving the State.
“We have seen what happen to Tripura where major tribal community has now become a minority in their own State,” he stated.
The Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016, persons occupying rented houses in the State should furnish, to both the police station and the local authority, requisite documents like residential certificate and EPIC within a stipulated period. However, the law will not apply to those living in any house or rental unit owned by the Central and State Government.
