Assam: Regional Political Party Writes to UN, Seeks Intervention Regarding 'CAA'

Guwahati, February 13, 2020:

Asom Songrami Mancha a registered regional political party of Assam, has written to the United Nations (UN) and demanded its intervention regarding the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Stating that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 is "discriminatory" in nature and against the spirit of our Constitution but also posing a grave danger to the identity and existence of the indigenous people of North East India and Assam in particular.

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In spite of wide spread spontaneous democratic protests by general public, various organizations and citizen forums, the Government of India is very much adamant to go ahead with CAA, said the Mancha asserted.

Claiming that since the CAA deals with refugees from other countries, it is not an "internal matter" and is under the obligation of the Charter of the United Nations and various International Human Rights instruments.

In view of the above circumstances, the Asom Songrami Mancha, a registered regional

political party of Assam has recently submitted petitions at various organizations of United

Nations -- the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations Secretariat of Indigenous Peoples and Development Branch and United Nations High Commission -- for

"Human Rights" and requested the "intervention" of the international body.

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The Mancha has requested the UN to "consider compatibility and validity of Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 under the spirit of Universal Declaration of Human Rights" and also to confirm whether the persons being given citizenship and genuinely persecuted.

The Mancha has also urged the UN to ensure that the language, culture, demographics and economic well being of the indigenous population of Assam is protected as per the principles of United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

"India does not need a controversial xenophobic Act like CAA, rather it needs a comprehensive Refugee Policy with strict compliance to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights", stated the Mancha in its communique.

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