Claims state safe from bill
TURA: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday clarified on the stand taken by Tura MP Agatha K Sangma to support the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) in Lok Sabha.
Sangma was speaking as the chief guest during the 147th Death Anniversary observation of Garo freedom fighter, Togan Nengminja at Chisobibra in East Garo Hills.
Clarifying on the Tura MP’s decision, Conrad informed that the contentious bill will no longer impact the state of Meghalaya as is being feared by many. He said that unlike the bill just passed in the Rajya Sabha, the earlier bill which the BJP had tried to pass in the month of February this year did not have the provisions to exempt areas where there is ILP or is under the Sixth Schedule. With the provisions being included in the just passed bill, he said that many of the states from the North East which has ILP or comes under the Sixth Schedule will no longer have to worry.
“The centre in February had tried to pass the CAB without thinking about the North Eastern states, but due to opposition by many groups, organisations and political parties, it could not be passed. Later, after taking the views of different stakeholders, it was modified to exempt areas having ILP and those that comes under the Sixth Schedule,” he said.
Conrad added that it was Tura MP Agatha K Sangma who persuaded Union Home Minister Amit Shah to exempt North East states including Meghalaya from the purview of the CAB, due to which Sixth Schedule areas in Meghalaya have now been exempted from it.
According to the Chief Minister, the bill gives citizenship only to those who came to the country before 2014. “So far, there has only been 1 applicant for citizenship who came to Meghalaya before 2014.
However, he too will not be able to get citizenship as many of the areas under Meghalaya are under the Sixth Schedule,” he informed.
Meanwhile, Conrad urged the people not to politicise the citizenship bill issue and to visit concerned authorities to get a better understanding of the bill.