Assam: Dima Hasao Congress stages hunger strike, demands immediate scrapping of CAB

Haflong, December 7, 2019:

The Congress party in Dima Hasao district of Assam is observing a hunger strike today as a mark of protest against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill. The tribal areas have been exempted from the Bill, but the Congress has stated that the Bill must be scrapped, as it poses grave threat to the plain areas, which do not have safeguards.

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The 'Hunger strike' was observed near Rajiv Bhavan in Haflong, where many Congress leaders and workers congregated to launch their protest against the Bill. Stating that Congress leaders will not accept the controversial Bill in any form, Nirmal Langthasa, the Dima Hasao Congress President said that the Bill should be scrapped.

Langthasa said that since the plains of Assam are in 'peril' due to the Bill, he said that although the 6th Schedule areas have been exempted from the CAB, they will stand in "solidarity" with their plains brethren.

"This is anti-indigenous to the people of Northeast", Langthasa said, adding "we don't want to live in a society where our neighbours' houses are on fire". "They have considered the demands of the tribals, but what about the people of the plains?", Langthasa queried.

The Dima Hasao Congress leader further assured that the people of the tribal areas are with the people of the plains in the "struggles" against the Bill.

It may be mentioned here that the Bill, which will be introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 9, and the Rajya Sabha on December 10,

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