GUWAHATI: A citizens’ rights organisation in Barak Valley has taken umbrage at the turn of events leading up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “clear” assurance on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, hinting that not enough has been done to protect the rights of linguistic minorities of Assam.
The Citizens Rights Protection Coordination Committee, formed about a year back, has been spearheading the movement for protection of rights of linguistic minorities in the state with an appeal that “harassment in the name of National Register of Citizens must stop”.
“We are not happy at the turn of events leading up to the assurance by the Prime Minister that the Bill would be passed in Parliament. The issue cannot be seen in isolation. If one goes by the provisions laid under the Indian Constitution, nobody’s rights can be determined on the basis of his or her religious identity,” Dr Tapodhir Bhattacharya, the chairman of the committee, told The Shillong Times on Saturday.
“The committee has always maintained that linguistic minorities in Assam must have ‘equal rights’ to live as citizens and lead their lives with dignity. But they are being harassed in the name of NRC,” Bhattacharya, also a former vice-chancellor of Assam University, said.
The Prime Minister had during a public rally in Silchar on Friday categorically stated that the “Bill would be placed in Parliament and we shall see to it that gets passed as well.”
“While the reality of Partition cannot be ignored, the issue has not been addressed in a proper. Here the term ‘foreigner’ has cropped up unnecessarily. We are astonished on how the Prime Minister spoke yesterday, which is quite in contrast to the categorical assurances he made five years back (when he was not a PM) that suicides owing to NRC would be stopped. But unfortunately, there have been over 40 suicide cases owing to (non-inclusion) in NRC draft. This is nothing but tyranny and inhuman treatment,” he claimed.
The committee also expressed its unhappiness that not a word was uttered on the “foreigners’ detention” camps or the HPC paper mills which have remained non-operational since the past two years.
“The Prime Minister did not utter a single word at the rally yesterday on the detention camps which he had assured to dismantle within three months of coming to power. Nor did he show any concern about the fate of the non-operational paper mills, which had triggered deaths and forced many to starve,” Dr Bhattacharya said.
Asked about the movement by several citizens groups and students organisations, including All Assam Students Union, against the Bill, he said, “It is a matter of perception. They are within their rights to stage a democratic agitation against the Bill. We in Barak Valley (which has a dominant Bengali Hindu and Muslim population) have launched a movement for protecting the rights of linguistic minorities.”
In the wake of the Prime Minister’s announcement yesterday, as many as 70 organisations led by Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti leader, Akhil Gogoi on Saturday took out an awareness rally here against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, urging the general public to join the movement.
Meanwhile, sections of residents in Barak Valley have expressed discontentment over “genuine Indians” not finding their names in the complete NRC draft.
“A good percentage of the 40lakh names who do not figure in the complete NRC draft published last year comprise people who are genuine Indians. For instance, the name of a paternal uncle of mine, who is 96 years of age now and had served the Indian Army, does not figure in the draft despite submission of his service certificate,” rued a resident of Silchar, requesting anonymity.
Asked about the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, he said, “The legislation is only a way of wooing votes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections which are just a few months away.”