GUWAHATI: Forum Against Citizenship Act Amendment Bill has made a clarion call to the people of Assam to gear up for a peaceful movement against the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 while at the same time urging Asom Gana Parishad to “be with the people of the state” by snapping ties with the BJP government in Assam.
The proposed legislation seeks to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries, which the Forum considers a threat to the “identity of Assam” and therefore a move that goes against the Constitution.
The forum’s chairperson, Hiren Gohain while urging the people to make a concerted effort to start a movement “for preserving their identity”, underlined the need to form at the local level committees that would take the movement against the Bill forward.
Addressing reporters here on Sunday, Gohain said, “Circumstances (in the past few months) have compelled us to take the battle against the legislation forward and the people of Assam must now gear up at the local level to start a peaceful movement, which we assure, will not be against any religion or community.”
“AGP (an ally in the Assam government) does not have time to think further. The party should immediately snap ties with the BJP government and be with the people’s movement if it considers itself as a regional party. If not, the move would be tantamount to breach of people’s trust on regionalism which was the basis on which the party was formed,” he said.
The forum has also challenged two notifications relating to the amendments to the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Passport (Entry Into India) Act, 1920, in the Supreme Court, regarding which a petition was submitted in the apex court on December 21.
“Besides, we have also challenged the order by the Union home ministry authorising district collectors of other states to register people from persecuted minorities of the countries (mentioned in the Bill) as Indian citizens. The matter would soon come up for hearing in the court,” forum’s convenor, Manjit Mahanta, said.
The forum further maintained that the Panchayat poll outcome which saw a BJP surge in the state had nothing to do with the Citizenship Bill but in all likelihood an “anti-Congress sentiment” as the Congress had held majority of the posts prior to the polls.
“BJP’s surge in the panchayat polls cannot be interpreted as people’s support to the legislation which the party is trying to pass. The rural electorate is concerned about issues at the local level,” senior member of the forum, Hare Krishna Deka said.
Asked about a Meghalaya High Court judge’s observation earlier this month that “India should have been declared a Hindu country after Partition”, the forum said that the apex court should have taken action against the judge “for making his opinion public, which goes against the Constitution.”
The judge had however clarified later that he never meant to challenge the country’s secularism.