NESO calls for region-wide bandh on Jan 8 against Citizenship Bill

GUWAHATI: The North East Students Organisation (NESO), a banner organization of 11 frontline students organization in the region,  has called for 11-hour bandh from  5 am on January 8  in protest against the Centre’s bid to get controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 passed in the Parliament.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, AASU chief adviser and NESO leader  Samujjal Bhattacharyya said that the unwarranted action of the BJP_led NDA government at the Centre to get the Citizenship Bill passed in the Parliament  forced them to declare bandh despite their reluctance.
“BJP government has grossly ignored  the vociferous  protests being carried out by the people of Assam against the Citizenship Bill and made an all out effort to pass it in the Parliament. We will in no way accept it,” Bhattacharyya said.
The AASU and 30 ethnic organisations of Assam have called upon the people of Assam to make the bandh successful.
Bhattacharya said that the AASU and 30 organisations will observe black day on January 7, when JPC will submit its report in the parliament.
He further said that they will burn copies of the Bill across the state on that day as a mark of protests.
The NESO-called  bandh likely to hit normal life in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram and Meghalaya, besides Assam.
All NESO constituents – AASU, Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF), All Manipur Students’ Union (Amsu), Garo Students’ Union (GSU) and All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) – have been demanding that the Centre withdraw the bill immediately to make northeast free from illegal influx.
Meanwhile, the AAPSU on Saturday announced that it would  support the 11-hour Northeast bandh on January 8.