ASSAM: FORTHCOMING VISIT OF JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON CITIZENSHIP BILL IN SILCHAR

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Citizenship Bill will hold hearing in Silchar, Assam on 8th and 9th May. It will be a maiden visit of the committee to Assam. JPC during its visit to Silchar will conduct hearings from migrants, NGOs,  Public Representatives and other stakeholders from three districts of Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj of Barak Valley relating to various provisions of the bill.

The Deputy Commissioner of Hailakandi Adil Khan, urged all the stakeholders to submit the memorandum along with names of representatives, on attending the hearings by May 4th for onward submission to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The JPC constituted to discuss the proposed bill had hearings from 16 organisations from Assam in Parliament on April 17 is expected to be presented in the winter session of Parliament.

The proposed 2016 Amendment Bill of the Citizenship Act 1955 currently under consideration of the JPC was introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 19.

Headed by MP, Rajendra Agrawal, the 30 member committee includes 20 MPs from the Lok Sabha and 10 MPs from the Rajya Sabha, has already toured the States of Gujarat and Rajasthan and now they are heading towards visiting Assam on 8th May.

Many organizations of Assam has voiced their protest reiterating their opposition against the proposed Citizenship Bill 2016. The proposed Bill seeks to grant citizenship of India to six communities viz. Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jain, Parsis, Christians from Afghanistan,  Bangladesh and Pakistan.

If such a bill is to be passed,  the entire agreement of Assam Accord, 1985 will be nullified. According to the accord anyone who has entered Assam after March 24,1971 should be treated as illegal immigrant irrespective of religious affiliation.

Amidst the scuffle,  it will be a matter of concern to see if the security of the indigenous people of Assam actually remains intact.