NE students’ body remains firm on opposing CAB

SHILLONG: The North East Students Organisation (NESO) has once again expressed its opposition to the reported move of the Centre to introduce the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), 2016, in Parliament in November.
Earlier, North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convener and Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had stated that the CAB would be brought to Parliament in November.
However, NESO chairman Samuel Jyrwa said that they have been opposing the Bill since the very beginning and would continue to oppose it.
He also informed that the organisation may visit New Delhi to ask the Central government not to introduce the Bill.
When asked what action NESO would take against the Bill, he said, “When time comes, we will decide what is to be done.”
The Bill seeks to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, Christians and Jains from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who entered India till December 31, 2014.
The legislation, which was passed by the Lok Sabha, lapsed earlier this year after the Centre did not table it in the Rajya Sabha.
) Now, the new government wants to reintroduce the bill in the Parliament.
It may be mentioned that the umbrella organisation of student bodies and civil society groups in Mizoram are planning to oppose the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the hill state on October 5 as they fear Shah will attempt to canvass for the proposed Bill.
Members of the NGO coordination committee will wear black dresses, carry placards and wave black flags along Shah’s route from the airport to Aizawl town.