SHILLONG/TURA/NONGSTOIN: The state continues to witness protests against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 with many organisations taking to the streets on Friday.
The Meghalaya Pradesh Mahila Congress (MPMC) organised a ‘silent protest’ while the Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress (MPYC) staged a demonstration outside the Bharatiya Janata Party office in Tura.
Members of the Mahila Congress protested with placards and banners at the party state headquarter in Shillong.
Later talking to reporters, MPMC president Joplin Scott Shylla announced that they will organise a march to the BJP office from Congress Bhavan on January 16.
Maintaining that the Bill will have an adverse impact on the future generations, she said the decision of the BJP-led NDA government in passing the bill is an insult and a clear reflection that the BJP is not bothered about the sentiments of the people of the NE.
Meanwhile, the Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress has warned that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill will give incentive for further immigration leading to the NE indigenous communities being reduced to a minority.
In a press communiqué, MPYC president Richard Marak termed the bill as ‘communally motivated humanitarianism’ and cautioned that it would allow immigrants to push the indigenous people into a minority.
“The BJP’s hypocrisy and dangerous politics is brought to the fore when one considers the provisions of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, the Assam Accord, and the NRC and aligns them with what the BJP professes to be its promises. The goals of NRC and the bill are mutually exclusive, but this hasn’t stopped BJP from taking contradictory stand,” allege the Congress.
“The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill comes into direct conflict with the
Assam Accord and the NRC by allowing illegal migrants of certain religions citizenship,” he claimed, while terming it as nothing short of vote bank politics.
Voicing the same concern, the Nongstoin Block Congress Committee (NBCC) also held a meeting at Congress Bhavan in Nongstoin on Friday to oppose the bill.
NBCC chief Gabriel Wahlang said the bill will pose a threat to the Hynniewtrep community as the bill is against the spirit of the Constitution as it would have detrimental effects on the Sixth Schedule which is aimed at preserving the minority communities.
He appealed to the people of West Khasi Hills and the state to raise their voice against the bill.
Gabriel also said he is not confidence that NPP will withdraw the alliance with the BJP.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of Hynniewtrep Social Organisations (CoHSO) has threatened to intensify their agitation.
In a statement issued here, president of Hynniewtrep Achik National Movement (HANM), Lamphrang Kharbani on behalf of CoHSO said the Bill still needs approval from the Rajya Sabha.
The CoHSO has also condemned the miscreants who pelted stones at the press vehicle which was moving around during the proposed stay-off-the road protest on Thursday night.
Prayer meet
Saindur Tipkur-Tipkha Ieng Ehrngiew Hynniewtrep (STIEH) will also hold a prayer meet on January 15 at Dorbar Hall Mission Compound, Shillong to exempt the state from Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
General secretary of STIEH, Rini Kurbah said the prayer meet will be held from 7 am till 7 pm and STIEH has invited the chief minister, cabinet ministers, MLAs and MDCs, members of NGOs to take part in the prayer meet. “We want to ask the state BJP leaders what will they do next? This bill is a threat to the minority indigenous communities in the state,” she added.
