Citizenship Bill Likely to Divide Northeast on Basis of Religion: Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty

Guwahati, November 3, 2019:

Journalist-turned Author, Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty, while sharing about her debut book, Assam Accord, The Discord, said that if the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) is implemented, it will leave at least one religious community in the ‘doubtful’ category.

She added that the much-debated citizenship exercise will certainly malign one community or the other. While interacting at the 21st Northeast Book Fair held at Guwahati, Chandmari, Barooah said that she believes that the CAB will bring in the religious divide among the people.

Also Read: Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Appeals All Tribes to Come Together to Preserve Assamese Identity

Barooah said, “Peace is our ultimate goal. This is all that we want at the end,” hinting that CAB will have its impact on peace and harmony in the region.

Sangeeta Barooah’s book, The Assam Accord, The Discord is about contemporary Assamese politics in the light of the historical events of the country – The Partition, the Emergency and the Bangladesh Liberation War. Her book has come in the wake of massive citizenship exercise in the northeastern state, the NRC. She entails a researched work on the important events that date back to 1967.

Also Read: Bharti Airtel and Voda-Idea Dues Should Not be Waived: Reliance Jio to Telecom Minister

While speaking on the lines of Nellie massacre (1983) and the Hindu-Muslim narrative, she said, “I don’t look at it as a religious clash. Instead, I believe, it was based on election. It was a ‘who supports and opposes the election’ back in those days.”

Barooah went on to say that Nellie massacre is one of the most talked about clashes of Assam. “It is because the number of deaths is more here. Why don’t we talk about the Khoirabari clashes? The clashes that happened back them were given a religious turn. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi blamed the media for exaggerating Nellie,” she said while responding to a query on Nellie.

Also Read: Nagaland NCC Cadet to Represent Northeast in Youth Exchange Programme in Singapore

The journalist-author said that media has been playing a major role in giving a Hindu-Muslim turn to clashes and will continue to do so. “I just feel that all that is happening around us is an anti-migration clash rather than a religious clash.

Support Inside Northeast (InsideNE), an independent media platform that focuses on Citizen-centric stories from Northeast India that are surprising, inspiring, cinematic and emotionally relevant.