ULFA’s Chetia joins Bill protest

SHILLONG: Pro-talks ULFA leader Anup Chetia participated in the demonstration against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, in the city on Thursday.
Speaking to media persons, Chetia said being the convener of the North East Indigenous People’s Forum, he “wants to convey a message to the people of Meghalaya that they are not alone and the indigenous people from across the region are with the people here in their fight against the Bill”.
In April, the ULFA general secretary had said the Centre had “demeaned the talks” with the outfit by announcing citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshis.
“If the Bill is passed, after 10 years, we will lose our language, culture and even identity and we are worried about our future.
The demographic structure of the region will change,” said Chetia on Thursday and asked all northeasterners to unite against the Bill.
Appreciating the Meghalaya government for opposing the Bill, he said Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal should follow in the footsteps of its neighbour.
The Federation of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP), which along with the Khasi Students Union (KSU) organised Thursday’s sit-in demonstration in front of the statue of Kiang Nangbah in the city, said the protest was to send a “strong message” to the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre that people of Meghalaya rejected its proposed Bill.
“We cannot accept such a Bill that attempts to give citizenship based on religion,” said FKJGP chief Wellbirth Rani who accused the Centre of trying to convert the country into a Hindu nation.
“Though we are not against any religion but our stand is clear that we will not allow even an inch of our land to be given to illegal foreigners,” he added.
Commending the NPP-led alliance government for opposing the bill, the FKJGP president said, “We want the state government to further take up the matter at the level of the Prime Minister to ensure that the Bill is not implemented.”