Jowai, May, 10: The All Jaintia Youth Welfare Organisation (AJYWO) Central Body has expressed its protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 of the Union Government terming it as a dangerous Bill towards the Minority Indigenous Citizens of the State of Meghalaya and besides the Bill might goes against the spirit of the Article 14 of the Constitution of India that guarantees right to equality.
“We oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 of the Union Government that seeks amendment to the existing Citizenship Act 1955, so that to allow the minority illegal migrants -Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, in the country who are coming from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan eligible for Indian Citizenship, as this move of the Union Government would pose a dangerous threat to the very existence of the Minority Indigenous Citizens of the State of Meghalaya,” said M H Dkhar, President, AJYWO Central Body.
The AJYWO’s Chief also added, “As of now, we have already had enough with the presence of people of unknown credentials in State. The Government of Meghalaya has failed to act till date to verify the legal and illegal migrants living in the State that are now posing a dangerous future to Indigenous Tribes – Garos, Khasis and Jaintias of the State”.
“We want the State (Meghalaya) and the Union Government to work as a team to verify these people that come like bees in swarms into the State and make our very Homeland their paradise and if any illegal migrant is detected, the same should be either punished or deported or as the case may be, so that our Indigenous People would continue to survive from generations to generations, but to the contrary, the Union Government is now trying to clear the track for illegal migrants to flow into our land and even make them eligible for Indian Citizenship, which is unacceptable by the Indigenous People of the State.” Mr M H Dkhar stated.
Dkhar also stated “The Indigenous People of the State would be very happy, if the Union Government would constitute committees such as the present Joint Parliamentary Committee for the purpose of visiting and conducting public hearing in different locations in this tribal State especially to the very nook and corner of the State to hear and see with its own ears and eyes, how backward and hard is the life of the Tribal Indigenous Residents of the State of Meghalaya in all spheres, and to find out ways and means for their upliftment and development”.
“We appreciate the State Government under the leadership of Conrad K Sangma, as the Chief Minister, for taking a bold step in protesting the said Bill. For the interest of the indigenous people of the State, the AJYWO will always work hand in hand together with the other NGO’s, individuals, groups and the State Government in protesting the said Bill until the same would be withdrawn from such unwanted amendment to the Citizenship Act 1955.”
“India is already the second most populous country in the world. Just imagine how had is the livelihood and survival of an individual in a populous and developing country like India. The citizens of the Nation were being suggested for family planning to control population in the nation, but now the Union Government instead of deporting all those illegal migrants to their own homeland to reduce the burden of the poor country like India but reversely it was busying in trying to find out ways and means to pave smooth passages for illegal migrants into the Nation and to avail them Indian Citizenship”, Mr M H Dkhar concluded.
