By: Dr. Dakter Esse (Deputy Editor-North East cum Bureau Chief-ICN Arunachal Pradesh)
ITANAGAR: Condemning the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) under the aegis of North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) staged a sit-in protest at Tennis Court here on Monday.
AAPSU General Secretary Tobom Dai said the union had through the office of NESO submitted memorandum to a Central government team on the strong rejection of the Bill.
“The Citizenship Act of 1955 was based on secularism and domicile by birth but the 2016 bill is totally based on religion. We are not against any particular religion but why does the central government treat NE as a dumping ground?
If the Centre is so concerned about those people, they should be dumped elsewhere,” he said.Criticising the State government for not opposing the bill, Dai said: “Chakmas are Buddhists and the Hajong are Hindus and then we have the Tibetans who automatically qualify for citizenship. This is a cheapgame played by the both State and Central governments. We have been fighting against the Chakma, Hajong and Tibetan immigrants’ issue for five decades and now the government has brought in another issue.”
Dai said governments in India never look beyond Kolkata and treat people of the Northeast as second-class citizens. “The government never seeks our consent while making decisions involving our future and always gives what we do not want. We will no longer allow the
culture of imposition,” he added.
NESO Chief Coordinator PitamWaiiSonam said the indigenous people of the region have been fighting illegal influx from Bangladesh since1972 and the Citizenship Amendment Bill is like a bomb waiting to detonate.
“First, clear the region all illegal immigrants and then think about the bill. Our call is for the security of our future. If we are not safe today how we can expect our children to be safe tomorrow”” he
asked.
“By any means this bill should be scrapped. We are scheduled to meet the Prime Minister and Home Minister within this month and we will tell them to keep the Northeast out of its purview. If the government fails to listen to the voices of the NE people, we will intensify the
movement,” Sonam said.
“It is very sad that the State government is silent on the proposed bill whereas the chief ministers of Meghalaya and Assam have already said that they won’t accept a bill that is against the interest of the people. The silence of our State representatives suggests they support
the bill,” he said.
AAPSU General Secretary BiruNasi said the union will oppose the bill tooth and nail because “we don’t support politics based on religion”. He also urged the people of the State to come together against the
bill.
“Once the bill is passed, fighting it will make no sense. The union should take the fight to the public domain to save the Northeast for the greater safety of India,” Nasi said.
PPA Chairman KhafaBengia, Congress leader MarpinBasar and Arunachal Civil Society President also questioned the State government’s silence on the issue. They asked the people of state to back NESO and AAPSU in ensuring the bill is not implemented in the Northeast and Arunachal
Pradesh in particular.
The protest was supported by district, community and student-based unions of the State. Many NGOs and PPA members also expressed solidarity with some 100 people who protested for about five hours.
