GUWAHATI: The All Assam Students Union has lambasted the Assam government’s silence on the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016, saying that as “big brother”, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal should have led the opposition to the Bill with a clarion call to the other states to follow suit.
“Assam should have emulated the boldness and the heart shown by neighbouring Meghalaya to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016. As a matter of fact, as the big brother, Assam chief minister, Sarbananda Sonowal should have led the way in opposing the Bill for the other states of the Northeast to follow suit,” AASU general secretary, Lurinjyoti Gogoi, said during a sit-in demonstration by North East Students Organisation (NESO) against the Bill here on Saturday.
Eight students’ organisations under the influential NESO, comprising AASU, Khasi Students’ Union, All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union, Mizo Zirlai Pawl, Twipra Students Union, Garo Students Union, Naga Students Federation and All Manipur Students Union, joined hands to go all out against the Bill kickstarting a “fresh round of post-JPC visit agitation at Dighalipukhuri here.
“This Bill is nothing but a conspiracy against the people of the Northeast. Politics should not be for politics but for the protection of the rights of the indigenous people,” Gogoi said.
The Assam government however has hinted that it would make its stand clear only after completion of the NRC update process, which would take a month and a half more.
Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti leader, Akhil Gogoi, AGP MLA, Ramendra Narayan Kalita among others were also seen joining the NESO representatives at the venue to lend support and a united voice against what the organisations term as an “anti-indigenous people” and “anti-Constitutional” Bill being imposed by the Centre on the Northeast.
“We reiterate that we stand united against the Bill and that this is just the beginning of a fresh round of agitation after the visit of the joint parliamentary committee to Assam and Meghalaya. In the coming days, the agitation will be taken across the region and beyond,” NESO adviser, Samujjal Bhattacharya, said.
Bhattacharya reiterated that the NESO would settle for nothing less than implementation of ILP, grant of special constitutional status for Northeast and an updated NRC not only in Assam but across the Northeast.
NESO had on Thursday submitted its views before the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) opposing the Bill at the hearing in Shillong.
“We are here in Guwahati to show our solidarity against the Citizenship Amendment Bill. Right from 2016 we had been opposing the bill. We have seen the effect it has on Tripura and the other states. This Bill if passed will only legalise influx from Bangladesh,” NESO chairman, Samuel Jyrwa said while taking part in the sit in.