FGUWAHATI: The North East Students Organisation (NESO) staged demonstrations opposing the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 across seven state capitals of Northeast on Monday, warning the Centre against imposing the proposed legislation in the region.
A demonstration was staged here with members of NESO raising slogans against the Bill and demanding answers to other burning issues, including sealing of the India-Bangladesh border and implementation of inner line permit (ILP) among others.
A memorandum was submitted in this regard to the Assam Governor by the organisation.
Warning the Centre against imposing the burden of lakhs of Bangladeshis on the region, NESO adviser Sammujal Bhattacharjee was firm on the opposition to what he termed as an “anti-indigenous and anti-Constitutional” legislation which would threaten the existence, identity, language and culture of the indigenous people.
“This protest in all the seven capitals of the Northeast today conveys a message that we may be divided by geographical boundaries but we are united for a cause, which is to protect the indigenous people. We therefore want to warn the Centre that the people of the Northeast will not accept the Bill as the region is not a dumping ground of foreigners,” Bhattacharjee told reporters here.
NESO had in its executive council meeting here recently, threatened to take the region-wide agitation to New Delhi in the coming days.
“This agitation is currently being staged at the state and regional levels. We want to remind the Centre again that no state in the Northeast is fighting a lone battle. NESO will take this agitation to the national level as well,” he said.
Earlier this month, NESO had submitted its views before the joint parliamentary committee (JPC), opposing the Bill at the hearing in Shillong.
Demanding time-bound implementation of the Assam Accord and ILP, the NESO adviser also sought constitutional safeguards and land rights to the indigenous people.
“We also want a bilateral treaty with Bangladesh aimed at checking influx and deportation of foreigners,” he said.
