New Delhi, Nov 30: The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) met with the Hon’ble Union Home Ministe,r, Mr. Amir Shah on the 30tb November 2019 in New Delhi on the contentious issue ot Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. NESO reiterated its stand against CAB on the ground that the Bill is against the interest of the indigenous people ot the North East region; the Government of India should understand that the indigenous people of North East are a minority in all fronts ethnically, linguistically and religiously.
NESO expressed to the Home Minister that North East has been facing the huge problem of illegal migration right from 1947 during Independence, of India due to partition, the mass influx of refugees from Bangladesh due to the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, the results of which the indigenous people of Tripura are reduced to a minority, eleven districts of Assam out of twenty four are, now dominated by non-indigenous people.
The Government of India has to take into account the abnormal decadal population growth of 27.8% in Meghalaya according to the 201 I census, the abnormal rise can be attributed to the unabated influx of people thom Bangladesh. Accordingly the CAB will also nullify the Assam Accord signed in 1985 whereby the cut-off date of 1971 will be quash with the new proviso inserted in the Biii. The CAB will only add to the intfux prob]e,m and u]timate]y the indigenous popu]ace will become minorities in their own land.
Even though the GOI has assured that the North Eastern states having the existing protective laws and provisions like the Eastern Bengal Frontier Regulation, 1 873 and the Sixth Schedule wouldn’t be affected by the consequences of CAB yet NESO felt that the GOI should take the entire NE region as one whole block and if some states are, affected as a result of CAB then sooner or later the other NE states will also be affected simultaneously.
NESO demands that instead of imposing CAB, the GOI should rather implement ILP in all the states of NE, exempt the NE region from the purview of Indo Nepal treaty of Friendship, 1950, implementation of NRC to all the NE states with a base year which might differ depending upon the unique history of each State, Constitutional safeguards with rights over land and natural resources amongst others.
In the meeting, NESO questioned why the All Manipur Students’ Union (AblSU) and other stake holders of Manipur were not invited in which NESO felt as a gross injustice to the indigenous people ot Manipur.
Tobe other constituents of NESO who have met with the Union Home minister are, Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF), Mizo Zirlai Pawl (NZP), All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU), Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) and Garo Students’ Union (GSU). Who are representing their respective states’ delegations have all expressed their strong opposition to the bill.
NESO in the meeting has urged upon the Home Minister not to go ahead with the current amendment of the Citizenship Act but to respect the sentiments of the indigenous citizens of NE.
