NEDA Affiliates Still Reserved about Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Concerned about Indigenous Rights: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati, September 9, 2019:

Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday, while addressing the 4th Convention of the Northeast, addressed both the National Register of Citizens (NEDA) and the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

Speaking about the NRC, the Finance Minister said that many genuine citizens of the State of Assam have been left out of the final list, published on September 9.

In regards to the implementation of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, he said that a discussion was being held among leaders of the BJP, in which the leaders came to the conclusion that many genuine citizens were being excluded from the NRC.

Read More: Citizenship (Amendment) Bill Could Change Demography of Meghalaya, Warns CM Conrad Sangma

In regards to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, he said that there are many reservations among the constituents of the NEDA about the implementation of the Bill, as it might clash with the Inner Line Permit (ILP) rights enjoy by the region.

However, he expressed hope that the leaders of the Northeast can do many good things together after consulting with one another.

NEDA leaders had raised concerns regarding the provision of the 6th Schedule, Inner Line Permit, and State Acts like Meghalaya Residents' Safety and Security Act. Moreover, Arunachal and Nagaland CMs also questioned whether the CAB will affect the provisions of the Article 371.

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Himanta Biswa Sarma also said that the border disputes among the Northeastern states must be resolved through dialogue. He also stressed on the need to eradicate the 'drug menace' in the State.

It may be mentioned here that the entire Northeast saw widespread protests after the contentious Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8, earlier this year. Protests were headed by student unions and civil societies across the states, and in some places, like Imphal in Manipur, the protests even turned violent.

Many Northeast Indian organizations are dead against the Bill, which seeks to provide citizenship to persecuted religious minorities in neighboring countries, as they believe it will affect the demography of the region.

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