SHILLONG: The NPP-led MDA government on Tuesday justified its departure from its earlier stand of opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill saying the new version addresses much of the state’s concerns.
NPP’s Tura MP Agatha Sangma on Monday voted for the bill in the Lok Sabha.
Talking to media persons after a cabinet meeting here on Tuesday, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that when the bill was moved for the first time in Parliament in January this year, the state government was worried that it could lead to illegal infiltration into the state.
Once amendments were made in the bill, it was made clear by the Union Home ministry that the cut-off date for the CAB is 2014 which means there is no question of future impact of any demographic change in the region.
“The fear that people will continue to come to the region after 2014 does not arise as this cut-off date has fixed and it has been made clear that only applications made in 2014 or before are going to be considered,” Sangma said.
He said even now there are not many applications. “There will be hardly two-three families who would come to Meghalaya after the implementation of CAB”, he said.
The chief minister added that the state has power to even reject the applications.
He said the new bill exempts areas under the Sixth Schedule or where Inner Line Permit system is in place. Besides, even applications for citizenship would have to be first approved by the state government.
According to Sangma, once these provisions were incorporated, the government felt that the concerns of the region have been seriously addressed by the Centre and large parts of the North East have been insulated.
“So, Agatha Sangma supported the bill”, he said.
However, the chief minister maintained that the struggle of the Northeastern states, including Meghalaya, is far from over and the government would immediately approach the governor to clear the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act ordinance. In addition, the cabinet has also decided to meet the Union Home minister to urge him for stronger measures like ILP in place so that more protection can be given to the tribals of the state.
Rejecting suggestion that the government has taken a U-turn, he said the government would discuss about implementing ILP and full exemption for the state from the CAB when they meet the Union Home minister soon.
Reacting to a query, he also said that people are emotional on the issue and assured that government would move the Centre for further measures to protect the state from influx.
He also said that people should look into the facts as the Union government has addressed the concerns the state earlier had over the bill.
When asked about the large scale vandalism which took place on the streets of Shillong on Tuesday during the NESO bandh, the chief minister said that the concerned department will take action as per relevant laws while adding that such acts caused harm to the state’s own people.
