NEW DELHI: Amid raging protests in Assam and some other northeastern states over the citizenship bill, the Centre said on Monday Home Minister Rajnath Singh will soon call a meeting of the North East chief ministers to discuss safeguards required to protect the region’s cultural and linguistic identity.
Large-scale protests have been witnessed in Assam and some other parts of the North East seeking withdrawal of the controversial bill, which seeks to grant nationality to non-Muslims who fled religious persecution from three neighbouring countries and entered India before December 31, 2014. The bill which was passed by Lok Sabha last week is likely to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha in the budget session.
Several protesting leaders, including those from Assam’s regional parties, have said the state’s indigenous people will lose their linguistic and cultural identity if the bill is passed. Protestors have also said that the proposed legislation goes against the 1985 Assam Accord, which says that anyone having entered the state after the cut-off date of March 24, 1971 should be treated as an illegal migrant and should be deported.
Singh’s proposed meeting with the chief ministers assumes significance as there have been concerns expressed by various stakeholders over non-functioning of a Centre-nominated committee to assess the implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord and other matters related to the northeastern states.
“Union Home Minister will soon be calling a meeting of chief ministers of the concerned states. They will further discuss about the safeguards that need to be provided for protecting the interests of these states and protecting their cultural and linguistic identity,” the Home Ministry said in its statement.
Meanwhile, highly placed officials said the government is assessing the situation arising out of the non-working of the Committee on Assam Accord, as more than half of its members have declined to be part of it. The Home Ministry had on January 6 notified a nine-member high level committee under the chairmanship of former tourism secretary M P Bezbaruah. (PTI)
